| Record Jackpot Helps FLUXX Set New Sales
Record -- Sales as much as
ten times higher thanks to mega jackpot -- Positive effect on business progress for 2007
expected
ALTENHOLZ, Germany
(December 4, 2007) -- The highest lottery jackpot ever known in Germany is
bringing FLUXX AG (ISIN DE000A0JRU67)
record-breaking sales. "Betting stakes on our platforms will be as much as
ten times higher than on an ordinary Lotto Wednesday," commented Rainer
Jacken, Management Board spokesman of FLUXX AG. The gaming specialist from
Altenholz, near Kiel, operates various lottery agencies on the internet, such
as www.jaxx.com, as well as the JAXX Lottery
Service on the premises of the discount drugstore Schlecker.
"With conventional agents quickly reaching their
capacity limits and long queues forming outside the kiosks whenever there are
high jackpots, more and more punters are switching to alternative methods
offered by commercial gaming agents," added Rainer Jacken, by way of
explanation of the sharply above-average rise in lottery stakes handled by
FLUXX. "New players and those who only play the lottery occasionally are
using the convenient, secure option via our sales outlets on the internet, in
supermarkets or at Schlecker." The revenue from
lottery agency business for the fourth quarter is much higher than budgeted and
will also be reflected in improved earnings, thus having a positive impact on
the business figures for 2007 as a whole. German Lotto and Totoblock
SOURCE: FLUXX AG IR Release. Tipp24.de Customer Cracks The Mega Jackpot On The
Internet GERMANY (December 5,
2007) -- Millions of people purchased their lotto tickets over the past few
days in the hopes of cracking the mega jackpot of 43 million euros. A long-time
Tipp24.de customer managed to do it.
He played a combination ticket at www.tipp24.de – his
lotto numbers 9, 10, 24, 28, 39, 42 were complemented by the correct super
number 3. It is not yet certain how many other people cracked the jackpot, with
whom he may have to share the earnings. In any case, the amount should be
enough to fulfil many long-cherished wishes.
Jens Schumann, CEO of the
Tipp24 AG: “There was an unbelievably large rush on our website. We had
20 to 30 times more ticket purchases than for regular jackpots. More and more
lotto players purchased their tickets on the Internet. We are especially
pleased that a long-time customers cracked the 43 million
jackpot.” Just last weekend four out of a
total of ten six correct lotto numbers were obtained at Tipp24.de – only
the super number 0 was missing to crack the jackpot. Shortly after the numbers
are drawn, Tipp24 customers receive a winning message via text message and
e-mail – a free service from the company just like the automatic payment
of winnings. About Tipp24 AG:
Tipp24 was established in 1999 and is now the market
leader for lottery products in the Internet on the basis of billings. The
company has succeeded in achieving impressive growth rates right from the
start. Almost all state lottery products are supplied. It only takes a few
mouse clicks to buy a lottery ticket – round the clock, quickly and
reliably. The ticket receipt is kept safely, winners are notified about their
prizes automatically by text message and e-mail and prizes are credited
automatically. Subsidiaries of Tipp24 (www.tipp24.de)
are Ventura24 in Spain (www.ventura24.es), Puntogioco24 (www.puntogioco24.it) in Italy and
MyLotto24 (www.mylotto24.co.uk) in
the UK. CONTACT: Tipp24 AG, Andrea Fratini, Head of
Media and Public Relations, Phone: +49 40 32 55 33-660, Fax: +49 40 32 55
33-5600.
Chairman's and
Chief Executive's Presentations at Tattersall's Limited's 2007
AGM The following are
extracts from the Chairman's and Chief Executive's Addresses presented at the
Tattersall's Limited 2007 Annual General Meeting on Friday 30 November, 2007.
Harry Boon, Chairman of Tattersall's
Limited: VICTORIAN LOTTERY LICENCE
After a protracted process, the Victorian
Government recently announced that Tattersall’s has been successful in
securing the important 10 year category 1 Lottery Licence which entitles
Tattersall’s to continue to operate the major lottery bloc games in
Victoria for the next 10 years, at a cost of $19 million. We will operate all
the best known and most successful games - Tattslotto, Powerball, Super
7’s Ozlotto, Super66 and the Soccer Pools - these games represent around
85% of revenue of the current Victorian lottery market but more importantly,
contribute nearly 100% of the profit. the decision by the Victorian Government
to introduce competition into the Victorian lottery industry brings lotteries
into line with the competitive environment that has always existed in the
Victorian gaming industry, where Tattersall’s and Tabcorp each hold
Licences in addition to crown casino. Tattersall’s welcomes such
competition and has a demonstrated track record of success in this environment.
With the shackles of the
lottery licence uncertainty now removed, we can look forward to continuing
Tattersall’s long and proud history as the major lottery operator in
Victoria, and to further developing our range of lottery products. I would now
like to turn to the gaming industry licence which we hold until 2012. Since
this licence does not expire until 2012, there is a long road ahead in the
renewal process. There are many issues that need to be resolved by the
Victorian Government over the coming year. First and
foremost is an understanding of the government’s preferred industry
structure. unlike other Australian jurisdictions, Victoria’s gaming
industry is conducted under the operator model that is, the two current
operators, Tattersall’s and Tabcorp, own all the gaming machines in the
various venues except those at crown casino. We believe that the current
industry structure in Victoria the existing operator model, provides a
higher standard of responsible gaming, has the lowest operating costs and thus
delivers higher taxes to government. This model also has resulted in the lowest
per capita density of gaming machines of any mainland jurisdiction with
machines outside casinos. We see no compelling reason why this operator model
should change, and we await the government’s guidance on this key issue.
This will be the next major step in the gaming licence renewal process,
hopefully leading to a decision well before the 2012 expiry of the current
licence. The other significant structural decision to
be made by the Victorian Government is in respect of the wagering licence
currently held exclusively by Tabcorp, which is also due to expire in 2012. The
government has committed that the Victorian racing industry must be no worse
off as a result of its structural review. This is a view shared by
Tattersall’s, and one we are confident can be achieved through the
introduction of competition in wagering. Tattersall’s - through Unitab
now has strong wagering capabilities with existing tab licences in
Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory. We have the systems,
capacity, ability and strong desire to bring our proven track record to
Victoria. We believe that this can be done in a way
that benefits our customers, the racing industry, and our shareholders. Given
that both the gaming and wagering licences in Victoria run until 2012, and that
these important industry structure issues need time for discussion before they
are resolved, a decision on new licences beyond 2012 is not expected in the
near future. CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S ADDRESS
Lotteries the integration
of the Golden Casket and Tattersall's Lotteries has progressed rapidly with a
strong response to a voluntary early retirement program, normal jackpot
activity and the opportunity to spread the depreciation of the Victorian
lottery infrastructure over a longer licence period. We remain confident that we will comfortably achieve the
previously announced ebitda forecast of $90m in fy08. The pro-forma ebitda last year from Tattersall's lotteries
operating alone was $35.7m. The spreading of the
lottery system depreciation over a longer period should see the group's total
depreciation for the year at less than $110 million
Download
a copy of Chairman's and Chief Executive's Address Tattersall's AGM 30 November
2007, mediaRelease301107.pdf
Download
a copy of Tattersall's 2007 Annual General Meeting Presentation
mediaRelease301107a.pdf
CONTACT: Michael Mangos (03) 8517 7443 or Gary
Woodford (03) 8517 7530.
Official
Inauguration of the Ludoplex Québec; A Secure and Controlled
Environment QUÉBEC CITY,
Quebec, Canada (November 30, 2007) – This coming December 6 will see
Loto-Québec officially inaugurate
its Ludoplex Québec, the second of four gaming centres authorized to be
established by Government Order in Council in November 2006. The Québec
gaming centres are innovative destinations that are designed for an adult
clientele and offer an environment in which stringent control and awareness
measures are of prime importance.
With the opening of this
Ludoplex, Loto-Québec is moving ahead with the reconfiguration of its
video lottery terminal (VLT) network outlined
in its 2004-2007 Development Plan. This initiative calls for reducing
accessibility to VLTs, as recommended by a study conducted* by
Université Laval's Centre québécois d’excellence pour
la prévention et le traitement du jeu in 2003. Loto-Québec has
focused its priorities on diminishing the number of establishments offering
VLTs and on concentrating the units at controlled sites. In pursuing its
objectives, the Corporation is committed to cutting back the number of VLT
sites in the province by at least 31%, and VLTs will be removed from
establishments located within a 2.3 km perimeter of the new Ludoplex
Québec, as is the case with the Trois-Rivières gaming centre.
“The Ludoplex Québec will make a
positive contribution to the economic development of the National
Capital,” underlines Mr. Simon Brodeur, Loto-Québec’s
Senior Vice-President of New Strategic Initiatives. “With an initial
investment of $33 million, including equipment, the Ludoplex Québec
alone will give rise to the creation of more than 180 jobs for the people of
the region, of which approximately 60% will be full-time positions.”
For his part, the General Manager of ExpoCité,
Mr. Mark Sparrow, emphasized that “the arrival of the Ludoplex serves
as an important lever and a major component in the revitalization of the entire
ExpoCité site.” A Choice
Entertainment Destination Under the management of
Mr. Patrick Lamy, the new gaming centre offers 335 gaming positions, a 185-seat
restaurant, a central bar capable of accommodating 75 patrons, a private hall
with a capacity of up to 50, as well as welcoming terrasses with room for some
200 people. No less than 45% of the space within the Ludoplex will be dedicated
to activities other than gaming, such as entertainment and food and beverages
services. “This is perfectly understandable,” explains Mr. Simon
Brodeur, “as entertainment is a key element of our mandate.” The
establishment was also designed and built with sustainable development in mind,
and the Société des salons de jeux du Québec is seeking to
obtain the Canada Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation with “Silver”
certification.
A Secured and Controlled
Environment Loto-Québec has implemented a
number of control and awareness measures at the Ludoplex Québec in order
to promote the adoption of healthy gaming behaviour. “In so
doing,” stressed Mr. Brodeur, “our clientele can enjoy a
secure and controlled environment promoting a responsible approach to
gaming.” Among the strict control measures
in place at the establishment are the following: - No
alcohol permitted in gaming areas - No bank wicket in
gaming areas - No credit card withdrawals or cashing
of personal cheques at cash wickets - No advertising
or promotion of gaming outside the Ludoplex - No
patron loyalty program related to gaming - Individuals
appearing to be under the age of 30 obliged to present photo ID at the
entrance - Restricted operating hours
- Self-evaluation console and the 8/8, Taking a Winning
Break pamphlet available on-site - Self-exclusion
program available to patrons - Intervention service
available for patrons in crisis or distress - Training
on responsible gaming offered to all personnel -
Security and surveillance at all times - Dress code in
effect - No form of privileged access granted
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On the Equipment
- Integration of innovative moderation devices and
sensitization tools (such as the smart card) -
Prevention characteristics of current VLTs maintained - Maximum wager of $2.50 maintained - Maximum win per wager limited to $500, with no progressive
prize pool offered - SOS-JEUX help hotline number
displayed on all VLTs A subsidiary of
Loto-Québec created in 2005, the Société des salons de
jeux du Québec's mission is to offer electronic-type games of chance
(VLTs) to an adult clientele, while developing and effectively and responsibly
managing controlled sites in which entertainment constitutes an integral part
of the customer experience. Further to the opening of the Ludoplex
Trois-Rivières and Ludoplex Québec, Loto-Québec intends to
establish two other gaming centres — one in the Versant Soleil section of
the Mont-Tremblant resort, and another on the northern fringe of
Montréal adjacent to a hippodrome. CONTACT:
Marie-Claude Rivet, Société des salons de jeux du Québec,
514 499-7111, ext. 3030. SOURCE: Loto Quebec.
Lottery Bonuses Are Deserved - Incentives Good
Business Practice Article
By: Tony Campbell, Board Chairman of the Georgia Lottery
Corporation GEORGIA, USA (December 6, 2007)
-- I am dismayed at the public criticism of an extraordinarily successful
organization that has achieved record results and contributed record amounts to
the HOPE scholarship and pre-kindergarten programs.
The Georgia Lottery Corp.'s results have far
exceeded expectations. As lotteries around the globe struggle to maintain
current profit levels, Georgia's lottery has continued to return more dollars
to education. The incentives earned by lottery employees resulted from a record
year with sales of more than $3.4 billion and remittances to education of more
than $853 million It is a gross disservice to suggest that there is something
wrong in rewarding employees of a public corporation for exemplary
performance. Decisions regarding performance
objectives and incentive amounts are not made in a vacuum. The GLC's board of
directors has required that periodic compensation studies be conducted by
third-party firms to ensure the organization's policies are responsible and
competitive. Studies within the last three years concluded that GLC
compensation policies are in line with the marketplace and recommended
continuation of variable pay practices in its compensation strategy.
Incentives were paid from a budgeted pool approved by the
board in May 2006 as part of the budgeting process for fiscal year 2007.
As with any business, incentives were paid out of the pool
only if certain goals were met. Goals were exceeded and incentives were paid
accordingly, with the amount paid less than the amount budgeted.
There are several important points that demand
recognition:
- The Georgia Lottery Corp. is not
a state agency. It was created as a public corporation to market and sell
products, and operate as a business with a board of directors of accomplished
business professionals. I am not aware of any public corporation that does not
have an incentive component as part of its compensation package.
- The Georgia Lottery Corp. does
not cost the state of Georgia a single penny. Every dollar of revenue received
by the GLC is derived from lottery sales generated by a team of employees with
production incentives. Moreover, total administrative expenses of the GLC are
currently less than 1 percent of revenue.
- Incentives paid to employees
equate to 0.08 percent, less than one tenth of 1 percent, of lottery
revenues.
- Not one eligible student has been
denied the opportunity to go to college on HOPE or attend pre-k due to a lack
of lottery funds. In fact, lottery reserves are more than $879 million.
- Production incentives are a best
practice in corporate compensation polices and have played an important part in
the continuing success of the lottery.
The Georgia Lottery Corp. has
a success formula that works and delivers results for the children of
Georgia. Mr. Campbell’s article appeared in The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution on December 6, 2007. $100 Million Contributed to Non-Profit
Organizations by the Société des bingos du Québec During
Its Ten Years of Existence MONTRÉAL, Quebec, Canada (November 30, 2007) –
Loto-Québec and the Forum des OSBL
are pleased to be marking the 10th anniversary of the Société des
bingos du Québec (SBQ), an important player within the bingo industry.
Since December 2, 1997, the SBQ has been actively
involved in marketing network bingo products in order to help boost the
revenues of non-profit organizations (NPOs) that depend on bingo activities as
a tool to finance their charitable work. Since 2002, all profits generated by
network product sales have been distributed to close to 1,000 NPOs that hold
bingo licenses. This represents a total contribution of more than $10 million
per year. Since the start of the SBQ’s commercial operations,
Loto-Québec has paid out $100 million to NPOs through this subsidiary.
Moreover, during the course of its 10 years of operation, the SBQ has awarded
close to $178 million in prizes to thousands of bingo winners and more than $22
million to bingo hall operators.
The marketing of network
bingo products in 108 bingo halls in Québec has had a notable positive
impact on the province’s bingo industry. In addition to having a
leveraging effect on regular bingo products, the introduction of increasingly
attractive games and continuously growing jackpots has enhanced the bingo world
with a new level of excitement and served to attract players to the bingo
halls. The SBQ is committed to constantly adding entertainment value to its
games, whether in the form of animation, shows or events that celebrate winners
and highlight big wins. The SBQ currently offers
three network bingo games: Le Grand Tour in the evening, Le Petit Tour in the
afternoon, and Caméléon offered before the two other games. This
Sunday, December 2, the subsidiary will be marking its 10 years of network
bingo activities with guaranteed jackpots in its Le Petit Tour and Le Grand
Tour games, which will be played with no ball limits. The minimum assured
jackpot for Le Petit Tour will be $20,000, while Le Grand Tour will offer a
minimum of $50,000. The SBQ wishes to thank all hall
operators and non-profit organizations for their collaboration, as well as its
patrons who have embraced its initiatives with great enthusiasm. Without all of
these parties, the community at large would simply not be able to enjoy the
positive spin-offs of the SBQ’s activities. Network bingo - a winning
proposition for all of Québec society! INFORMATION: Chantal Lavallée, Jean-Claude Dubois,
Board of Directors - Forum des OSBL Board of Directors - Forum des
OSBL, 450 424-1616, 819 374-2423 or Jean-Pierre Roy, Director of Media
Relations, Loto-Québec, 514 499-5151. SOURCE:
Loto Quebec. $180 Million
Investment in the Centers of Economic Excellence Funded by Lottery
Appropriations COLUMBIA, South
Carolina (December 4, 2007) - A Centers of Economic Excellence (CoEE) report
presented to the Budget and Control Board finds that an important program
funded by lottery proceeds is fueling critical research in areas that will
advance South Carolina's economy. The report emphasizes the collaboration
of endowed professorships created by the CoEE Program from 2003-06 and credits
the Endowed Chairs Program for unprecedented scientific collaboration among the
three research universities, citing one-third of the CoEEs are scientific
partnerships between and among S.C. public institutions. The full report is
available at http://www.sccoee.org/news.asp under
Budget & Control Board Report.
In 2002, the General
Assembly enacted the South Carolina Research Centers of Economic Excellence Act
designating $200 million through 2010 from the South Carolina Education Lottery Account to
establish the CoEE Program also known as the Endowed Chairs Program. This
program authorizes grants to the state’s three research institutions:
Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, and the Medical
University of South Carolina. The CoEE Program also establishes endowed
professorships held by internationally recognized scientists dedicated to
enhance the state’s hi-tech economy. Through fiscal year 2008, more than
$180 million has been appropriated by the Legislature to the CoEE Program. The
funding must be matched dollar-for-dollar through major private sector funding
and federal grants. Lottery proceeds are already
funding research projects with wide-ranging applications. The Medical
University of South Carolina is working diligently in the areas of
neuroscience, cancer research, vascular disease, and health care quality and
finance. The University of South Carolina focuses on the fields of biomedical
science, nanotechnology, and future fuels. Clemson University explores the
research fields of automotive engineering, architectural science, and materials
development. Economic impact is occurring through the
generation of new patients in technology transfer, through corporate
relocations to S.C., and through the development of industrial consortiums as
well as increased research funding and CoEE spin-off companies.
The CoEE Program is an investment in the state’s
higher education system and future economy. The South Carolina Education
Lottery is proud to raise capital for the CoEE Program to ensure our students
receive a world-class education while investing in our state’s future
families through the creation of new, higher-paying, and knowledge-based jobs.
For more information on the South Carolina Education Lottery and where the
money goes visit www.sceducationlottery.com
SOURCE: South Carolina Education Lottery. For More
Information CONTACT: Julie E. Huffman - SCEL Communications Coordinator
Office: (803) 737-2574, Fax: (803) 737-2893, Cell: (803) 667-2848, Email:
Julie.huffman@sclot.com.
Lottery Subscription Holders Now Have Another Way
To Win!!! Bonus Prize
Drawings Held Each Month for Special Prizes!! MAINE, USA (November 30, 2007) -- Now there’s another
great reason to subscribe to Powerball
and Megabucks! As a subscriber, you
will automatically be entered into a bonus prize drawing every month that your
subscription is active.
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You could win Cash!
Visa® Gift Cards! Merchandise! Maybe even a new TV! We’ll be mixing it
up with lots of great prizes — for you, our valued subscriber.
Drawings start December 2007. If you have an active
subscription, you’ll be automatically included in the bonus prize
drawing. To stay in, just renew your subscription when
it’s due. NO NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE! You can win for both Powerball* and
Megabucks — and the more subscriptions you buy, the more chances you have
to win — not only the Jackpot, but a monthly bonus prize too!
Winners will be notified by mail and will be posted on the
Maine State Lottery website at www.mainelottery.com.
Happy Winnings! First
Subscription Bonus Prize Drawing – December 21, 2007
Prizes Megabucks Drawing - $1,000 Powerball Drawing -
$1,000 Powerball with Power Play Drawing* - $500 *Players that have a Powerball with Power Play subscription
will be eligible for both the Powerball and Power Play Drawings.
SOURCE: Maine Lottery.
Principles of
Contemporary Lottery Marketing Is Now Available BOYDS, Maryland, USA (December 2007)- TLF Publications, Inc.,
publisher of La Fleur's Magazine, has just released the all-new La Fleur's
Principles of Contemporary Lottery Marketing (3rd Edition). In classic textbook
style, the book features 29 case studies of new lottery game start-ups or
relaunches in Australia, Canada, Eastern and Western Europe, New Zealand and
the United States-including instant, daily numbers, lotto, multi-jurisdictional
lotto, raffle, bingo, hybrid and video lottery.
The hard-bound book also
includes a companion DVD and CD set featuring examples of television, radio,
print, Internet and point-of-sale advertising for the featured marketing
campaigns. "It has been 13 years since TLF
Publications last compiled the 2nd edition of Principles of Contemporary
Lottery Marketing back in 1994," said Terri La Fleur, publisher, TLF
Publications. "Case studies chosen for this book resulted from our editorial
research for stories published in La Fleur's Magazine. This book will
definitely add to the 'mindshare' among lottery marketers by illustrating what
their peers are doing around the world to grow lottery sales."
Among the case studies discussed in the book are
higher instant ticket price point launches, instant campaigns integrating
proceed beneficiaries, umbrella product campaigns, sports league tie-ins,
summer promotions, iBingo, mobile gaming, BovineUnite, VIP clubs, street team
marketing, text message marketing, Internet Poker, family branding campaign,
full-product line campaign, online variable prize payout, EuroMillions, Big
Wednesday lotto, 5-digit lotto, short-run hybrid lottery, Fast Play Bingo,
multi-jurisdictional raffle, King Kong Millions raffle and line game VLT
launch. Each case study is presented in a uniform
format that details the following aspects of the campaign: competitive
environment, demographic profile of lottery players, marketing situation
summary, campaign objectives, marketing strategy and results. The case studies
in La Fleur's Principles of Contemporary Lottery Marketing are complemented by
extensive graphical exhibits of marketing pieces, including print
advertisements, Internet banners, point-of-sale pieces, retailer brochures and
game logos. Principles of Contemporary Lottery
Marketing (3rd Edition) costs USD $395 plus postage and handling. It can be
ordered online at www.lafleurs.com or by
emailing to terri@lafleurs.com for an
order form. 
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