| The Three Stooges® Lottery License Goes to
GTECH GLENDALE, California, USA
(February 15, 2008) -- C3 Entertainment, Inc., The Three Stooges® brand
owner, announced today it has signed GTECH
Corporation to a licensing agreement for the highly successful Three
Stooges brand lottery program.
Numerous state lotteries,
including Iowa, Maryland, Illinois, Virginia and Oregon, have run successful
The Three Stooges® themed games, and in 2006-2008 lottery games were
offered in Ohio, New Hampshire, Michigan, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Even
with this success, "It was time to take our lottery program to another
level," said Ani Khachoian, C3's Vice President of Licensing, "and we
are very pleased to have GTECH, a true global leader, as our lottery
licensee." Continuing, Khachoian said, "Our
in-house efforts have elevated our brand to a position of leadership as a
themed entertainment brand used by lotteries across the United States. Our
lottery programs have always achieved strong sell throughs and some states even
used our brand in multi-media advertising campaigns for their general lottery
programs. GTECH's abilities and global reach as the leading end-to-end lottery
program provider is the perfect marriage between a brand licensor and a
licensee. I look forward to working with GTECH on new lottery
opportunities." Pat Schmidt, GTECH's Sr. Director
Brand Licensing & Marketing, said, "Without a doubt The Three Stooges(R)
is one of the most popular comedy groups of all time. There are so many
creative opportunities to make The Three Stooges® game fun for lottery
players. When you combine our creative game development and our high-quality
printing techniques, with the nostalgia people attach to The Three
Stooges®, lotteries can expect big results. We are thrilled to be working
with the people at C3 and representing this perennially popular brand to
worldwide lotteries." About GTECH
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GTECH Corporation, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Lottomatica S.p.A., is a leading gaming technology and
services company, providing innovative technology, creative content, and
superior service delivery. Lottomatica is one of the world's largest commercial
lottery operators and a market leader in the Italian gaming industry. GTECH and
Lottomatica together create a fully integrated lottery operator and gaming
technology solutions provider and is a combined company with worldwide scale,
considerable financial strength, and industry-leading customer solutions.
About C3 Entertainment, Inc. (http://www.c3entertainment.com/)
C3 Entertainment, Inc., is the home of The Three
Stooges(R), a diversified entertainment company involved in television and
motion picture production, retail sales and the licensing and merchandising of
The Three Stooges(R). For more information, please visit
http://www.c3entertainment.com/ and http://www.threestooges.com/.
CONTACT: Ani Khachoian (818) 956-1337 Ext 215
The Three Stooges(R) is a registered trademark of C3
Entertainment, Inc. The Three Stooges(R) characters,
names and all related indicia are trademarks of C3 Entertainment, Inc.
SOURCE: C3 Entertainment, Inc.
CONTACT: Ani Khachoian
of C3 Entertainment, Inc., +1-818-956-1337 ext. 215. INTRALOT Strengthens Its Presence In The
Philippines ATHENS, Greece
(February 19, 2008) -- INTRALOT has
signed an amendment of its current contract with
Pacific Online (POSC), the entity
that runs the games of the Philippines Charity
Sweepstake (PCSO) in the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao of the
Philippines, for the supply of 300 additional terminals.
Through this agreement Pacific Online is expanding further
its network in the area of Visayas-Mindanao connecting new Points of Sale to
the LOTOS™ online central system that was installed by INTRALOT in Cebu,
South Philippines, and launched its operation on December 8th, 2006. During
2007 PCSO's sales have demonstrated an impressive increase of 19%.
INTRALOT S.A. CEO,
Mr. Constantinos Antonopoulos
stated: “The current amendment of our contract with Pacific OnLine, is
a token of our excellent collaboration. We are very pleased to see the
impressive course of the company and we are confident that INTRALOT’s
solutions will enable PCSO to continue adding value to the local
community.”
Pacific Online Chairman,
Mr. Willy Ocier added: “We decided to enhance our partnership with
INTRALOT, since our excellent collaboration during the last year has led our
company to the peak. The company's robust results were fuelled by the recent
rollout of INTRALOT new online lottery terminals and introduction of new digit
games. We look forward to continuing our contribution to the Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office and therefore, actively support the government's charity
projects.” About INTRALOT (www.intralot.com) INTRALOT, a public listed company, is the leading supplier of
integrated gaming and transaction processing systems, innovative game content
and sports betting management, to state-licensed gaming organizations
worldwide. It’s broad portfolio of products & services, its know-how
of Lottery, Betting & Video Lottery operations and its leading-edge
technology, give INTRALOT a competitive advantage which contributes directly to
customers’ efficiency, profitability and growth. With presence in more
than 40 countries, with 4.000 people and revenues of €791,4 m. for 2006,
INTRALOT has established its presence on all 5 continents.
For more information please
CONTACT: Ms Persa
Kartsoli, Head of Corporate Affairs, Phone: +30-210 6156000, Fax: +30-210
6106800, email: kartsoli@intralot.com
Florida Lottery Adds 'Alotta' Lotto
Choices TALLAHASSEE, Florida, USA
(February 14, 2008) -- The Florida
Lottery is adding more choices to its flagship game, FLORIDA LOTTO,
offering players three levels of jackpots to choose from! The Lottery is
planning to launch the new jackpot options on March 2, 2008, though plans are
not yet finalized.
FLORIDA LOTTO players may
continue to play the game as they always have, at $1 for a chance to win the
base jackpot, which starts at $3 million and increases with rollovers if no one
matches the six-out-of-six winning numbers. For $2, players will have the
opportunity to win the base jackpot plus an additional $10 million; and for $3,
they can win the base jackpot plus an additional $25 million.*
"FLORIDA LOTTO is a jackpot-driven game, meaning
that more people play as jackpots increase. This sentiment is mirrored in the
feedback that we receive from our players, who seem to enjoy the opportunity to
play for increasingly higher jackpots," said Florida Lottery Secretary
Leo DiBenigno. "The changes we're
introducing will offer our players increased jackpots and more choices, while
preserving the game so many love." The odds of
winning a prize in the enhanced FLORIDA LOTTO game will remain the same;
however, a new FLORIDA LOTTO playslip will be necessary to play the game. New
playslips will be available at retailers statewide starting March 2, 2008. In
the coming weeks, the Florida Web site at flalottery.com will provide
additional information on the new game, including an online tutorial.
One of the Lottery's first On-line games, FLORIDA LOTTO
was originally introduced in April 1988 as a once-a-week, multimillion-dollar
jackpot game. Minor changes to the game¿s prize structure were made in
1993, followed by its first major overhaul in 1999 that included adding a
second draw per week, changing the number matrix from 49 to 53, and
substantially increasing the game's lower-tier prizes.
After 1,465 draws and more than 16 billion tickets sold,
FLORIDA LOTTO is still the most popular game offered by the Florida Lottery and
one of the strongest lotto games in the nation. During fiscal year 2006-07, the
game generated $736 million in sales and $294 million in transfers to the
Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF). Though it has performed relatively
well through the years, FLORIDA LOTTO is showing signs of slowing sales growth.
As part of its business
model, the Lottery constantly analyzes its games to offer a product mix that
will generate the best return for the State. The changes to FLORIDA LOTTO are
expected to generate an increase in ticket sales of approximately 25 to 35
percent and more than $100 million for education during the next 15 months.
"FLORIDA LOTTO has always been, and continues to
be, an important part of our strategy to continue to generate as much money as
possible for education," added Secretary DiBenigno. "As the Florida
Lottery turns 20 this year, we've taken a stronger look at ways to continue to
meet our statutory mandate." Since 1988, the
Florida Lottery has contributed more than $18 billion to the EETF, benefiting
Florida students and schools, as well as fully funding more than one million
annual Bright Futures scholarships. By a two-to-one margin, Florida voters in
1986 approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the state to operate a
lottery for the purpose of generating significant additional moneys for
education. * Estimated prize to a single winner, paid
over 30 years. SOURCE: Florida Lottery.
CONTACT:
Jacqueline Barreiros, (850) 487-7727.
Tackling the Detriments of Gaming Without Spoiling
the Good Reputation Article By: Ilkka Juva, Communications Director,
Veikkaus Oy. VEIKKAUS, Finland (February 14,
2008) -- The Finnish Lotteries Act will be reformed this year. We have an
exceptionally strong unanimity about gaming policy in Finland. Throughout the
political sector, there is a consensus that to ensure the gaming activities
taking place according to the best standards of responsibility, they must be
operated within a carefully controlled and supervised environment, i.e. an
exclusive rights system. This will certainly be prominent in the law reform.
Naturally, all the parties
involved have their own points of concern. The beneficiaries of
Veikkaus funds are bound to be interested
in the economic aspects of gaming. Everybody worries about the prevention of
social detriments, but that is, of course, primarily a concern of the officials
in charge of that particular sector. Surveillance, crime prevention, and
prevention of unauthorized gaming activities belong to the sphere of
responsibilities of the Ministry of the Interior. The majority of adult Finns
play our games; thus, our customers, too, will want to express their opinion
about how the gaming activities should be organized. One of the core objectives of the law reform is the
minimization of gaming detriments. We need to attain this objective without
weakening the good reputation of our games. Gaming is distinctive even as
regards the problems it may cause: some of the players are severely affected,
whereas for the majority of the players, gaming remains good harmless
entertainment. The new Lotteries Act will introduce a
new age limit of eighteen years. The game providers will welcome this
amendment, having set the age limits voluntarily by themselves so far. Another
major change will be the identification of players. Even that is in line with
Veikkaus’ own aims. The provisions concerning
marketing will cover both the restrictions on advertising of the legal gaming
activities and the authorities’ powers to interfere with the marketing of
unlicensed games. Of course, the marketing of legal gaming activities must be
allowed. It is the only way in which the demand can be channelled to a
controlled environment. However, it is just as obvious that advertising should
be made subject to restrictions and the promotion of unauthorized gaming
activities should be prevented. Article By: Ilkka
Juva, Communications Director, Veikkaus Oy. SOURCE:
Veikkaus’ eNews.
CONTACT: Veikkaus Oy, Communications, Tel: +35820 750
750, Fax: +35820 750 7145, Email: tiedotus@veikkaus.fi.
Zorro Leaves His Mark on Casinos Across the
U.S. LAS VEGAS, Nevada, USA
(February 15, 2008) -- Zorro™ has left his mark on casinos across the
United States, and players have been cashing in on the fun! In 2007,
players won more than $2.4 million playing Aristocrat's Zorro penny slot. The
most recent win was at Arizona Charlie's Decatur in Las Vegas, where the
progressive penny slot jackpot hit for an incredible FIFTH time in this
location in less than a year. "Players are winning
with Zorro all over the U.S. -- California to Connecticut, Nevada to Wisconsin
and everywhere in between, our Zorro penny slot is the game players love to
play," said Aristocrat President Tim Parrott.
Most recently in Las Vegas,
a lucky local won $50,000.00 playing Aristocrat's Zorro penny slot, becoming
the FIFTH player in a year's time to hit the jackpot at Arizona Charlie's
Decatur location. No other casino in Las Vegas or in all of Nevada can boast
such a high hit frequency for the Zorro game. Arizona
Charlie's Decatur Director of Slot Operations Jim Pelletier said, "This is
amazing! Our players love the Zorro game, and it's easy to guess why. With five
top jackpots awarded in less than a year's time, Zorro has definitely left a
mark on Arizona Charlie's Decatur, and it's in the shape of a big smile on our
players' faces!" Aristocrat's Zorro linked progressive slot
combines the excitement of a four-level progressive jackpot with six bonus
events and four bonus features. This rich feature set is augmented with two
unique, Zorro-themed MKVI™ 20-line penny slots, amazing graphics, and
hi-fi sounds. The four-level, second-screen progressive features three linked
progressive jackpots and a fourth top jackpot with a static $50,000 award that
can be won on any game. Arizona Charlie's Decatur is
one of the top local casinos in Las Vegas. Featuring more than 1,400
ticket-in/ticket-out slots, video poker and Keno machines and a wide variety of
table games, Arizona Charlie's Decatur offers some of the best gaming choices
in town. They also have an exciting, full-service Race & Sports book and is
the only casino in Las Vegas to host a 24-hour bingo parlor.
About Aristocrat Technologies Inc.
Aristocrat Technologies Inc. is a subsidiary of Aristocrat
Leisure Limited , a leading global provider of gaming solutions that
consistently outperform the competition. The Company is licensed by over two
hundred regulators and its products and services are available in over ninety
countries around the world. Aristocrat offers a diverse range of products and
services including electronic gaming machines, interactive video terminal
systems, electronic tables, and casino management systems. For further
information visit the company's website at
http://www.aristocratgaming.com/.
CONTACT: Paul Speirs, Steinbeck Communications, (702)
413-4278, Email: paulspeirs@cox.net
SOURCE: Aristocrat Technologies Inc.
Pacific Lottery
Corporation Signs Master Agreement to Fully List in
Germany CALGARY, Alberta, Canada
(February 14, 2008) - Pacific Lottery Corporation
(TSX VENTURE: LUK) (the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has
today executed a Master Agreement ("the Agreement") with Privilige Relations
LLP of London, UK ("Privilge") to assist in elevating it's present contingent
quotation of securities to a listing of its securities at the Entry standard on
the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
The Agreement calls for
Privilige to act as the Corporations co-ordinating agent in all matters related
to the listing of its securities. The Agreement provides for the appointment of
the prestigious legal firm of Heuking Kuhn Luer Wojtek as the Corporation's
legal advisors for the purposes of preparing and submitting all the necessary
documentation required for approval. In addition, the Agreement provides for
the appointment of 886 AG Wertpapierhandelsbank as the Institutional Agent and
designated sponsor. Finally, the Agreement provides for the possible placement
of principal securities by an International Investment Bank.
The Corporation expects this Agreement and the subsequent
full listing of its securities on the Frankfurt market will assist in providing
additional liquidity for shareholders. As well, the Corporation further
believes, that in conjunction with its ongoing successful operational
activities in Vietnam that this is an important step forward in its goal of
unlocking shareholder value. About Pacific Lottery
Corporation (www.pacificlottery.ca)
Pacific Lottery Corporation is engaged in the provision of
online lottery technology and related professional services for delivery to a
growing audience of international customers. Today, the Corporation exclusively
leads the technical support activities for the On-Line lottery system in
Vietnam. For more information, please contact: Pacific
Lottery Corporation, David Jones, (403) 266-8900, (403) 266-8909 (FAX).
2007 - A
Successful Year For Svenska Spel
VÄXEL, Sweden
(February 18, 2008) -- An over-all strong market situation in Sweden, unique
Svenska Spel innovations in gaming responsibility and a successful strategy in
gaining market shares have together contributed to a profit of MSEK 5 247 in
2007 (including a non-recurrent amount of MSEK 93). The result is an
improvement by MSEK 440 in comparison with 2006. We
strengthened our position last year and the future looks bright although the
last quarter of 2007 indicates a weakened growth.
I am most satisfied with
our annual result 2007. We have worked more than ever in order to improve our
gaming responsibility, the result is better than ever and we have succeeded in
channelling an essential part of Swedish gaming into a safe and controlled
environment. The new internet device Playscan helps us in preventing and
discovering problem gaming, says Jesper Kärrbrink, CEO.
Playscan, launched in the end of June 2007, is
built upon artificial intelligence and detects a player’s eventual
unhealthy gaming patterns. If the player runs the risk to develop a problem
gaming he recieves a warning message in due time and gets the chance to avoid
developing an addiction. The improved result in 2007
means that the Swedish Sports Confederation and the Youth Board recieve more
money – in total MSEK 1 349 respectively MSEK 196 – for their
organizational activities for children and youth. The
fact that part of Svenska Spel’s profit benefits society is a bonus that
makes our assignment even more inspiring. In
2007 the tough competition on the gaming market has continued. Part of it
is still operated out of reach of the Swedish laws and the controlling
authorities. On Internet, where competition is hard,
we have increased our net turnover as well as our market share (27 percent in
the beginning of the year, 34 percent at the end). In our surveys we see that
the amount of players with gaming problems is considerably lower for Svenska
Spel in comparison with our competitors. It shows that
our efforts in gaming responsibility have positive consequences – for both
turnover and market share as well as for society’s social costs and the
individual players. We are convinced that it is possible to combine gaming
responsibility with profit and growth. Svenska Spel’s total net turnover in 2007
amounted to MSEK 9 598, an increase by MSEK 693 in comparison with 2006. All
business areas and several of the most important gaming products increased
their net turnover. Among others Lotto increased 7.8 percent, the biggest
scratch ticket Triss 2.9 percent and Oddset 4.1 percent. The four casinos show
an increase of the total net turnover by 15.1 percent and the VLTs Vegas
increased 5.8 percent.
Jesper Kärrbrink
beleives in a continuously positive development for Svenska Spel also in
2008: We will develop our business and our program for
gaming responsibility in order to make an even more Swedish players choose the
safe gaming that we offer. However, I think it will be difficult to maintain
the growth we have had in 2006 and 2007. Lately we have observed a certain
weakening of the growth in the gaming business, and we know that, for instance,
the casino business depends to some extent on the general economic situation of
the country. In order to succeed in fulfilling the
company’s long-term assignment the gaming market must have a regulation
that works - it is not so today. Therefore we are most interested in the
results of the on-going official report on the gaming market initiated by the
Swedish Government. 2007 in short
- The business area Internet &
Mobile phone increased its net turnover with MSEK 327, i.e. + 38.4 percent
relatively 2006. The net turnover for poker on svenskaspel.se was MSEK 385, an
increase by MSEK 179 in comparison to 2006 (note that poker on svenskaspel.se
was introduced on March 26, 2006).
- The business area Kasino
increased the net turnover by MSEK 151 (15.1 percent) in comparison with 2006.
The casino in Stockholm increased 10.3 percent, Gothenburg 18.7 percent,
Malmö 17.6 percent, and Sundsvall 22.7 percent.
- The business area Butik
(retailers) also increased its net turnover, + MSEK 84 or 1.6 percent.
- The business area Restaurants
(with VLTs Vegas) increased by MSEK 106 (5.8 percent).
- The business area Associations
(selling lottery tickets via sports associations) increased from a very low
level to a net turnover of appr. MSEK 22.
- In 2007 two new business areas
were formed: Bingo and Subscriptions.
SOURCE: Svenska Spel (http://www.svenskaspel.se).
Harrah's Selects IGT for Enabling Display
Technologies to Power Next Generation of Interactive CRM
Capabilities IGT's
sb™ NexGen™ Displays to be Installed on Harrah's Slots
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, USA (February 13, 2008) --
International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) said
today Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. has selected IGT's sb™ NexGen™
displays for installation on more than 60,000 Harrah's slot machines as part of
Harrah's next generation of Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM)
capabilities.
The transaction is subject
to Harrah's corporate approvals, execution of definitive agreements and receipt
of required regulatory approvals. The NexGen™
display is a patented interactive touch screen LCD communications device that
will be used for a wide range of player communications, promotions,
interactions and rewards tied to the Harrah's Total Rewards(R) program. The
sb™ NexGen adds the state-of-the-art networking and connectivity
capabilities using the newly established Gaming Standards Association (GSA)
specifications and protocols. Both Harrah's and IGT are active members of the
GSA. Harrah's PRISM initiative, an acronym for
Personalized Real-time Interactive Slot Marketing, is designed to introduce a
host of innovative new CRM features and exciting digital entertainment
capabilities to the millions of Harrah's Total Rewards cardholders who play the
company's slots domestically and abroad. As part of
this agreement, Harrah's also plans to pilot the new Media Manager application
functionality, a key component of IGT's sb system, to create and deploy its own
unique set of Total Rewards and PRISM interactive customer-marketing
capabilities to all of its games. This approach will also position Harrah's to
deliver its custom PRISM and Total Rewards features to customers directly on
the game screen (with or without a NexGen display) when various manufacturers'
games support the ability to do so via open GSA standards and IGT's
award-winning sb™ Service Window feature. SOURCE:
IGT. Veikkaus’ Annual Report 2006 Rated as the
Third Best VEIKKAUS, Finland
(February 14, 2008) -- Veikkaus’
annual report 2006 was awarded a recognition prize as the third best piece of
print work in the annual reports series of the Galerie Art Design & Print
Awards 2007 competition.
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The company to win the
competition was Nokian Tyres, whereas the second prize was awarded to
Rautaruukki Oyj. Further, the Finnish design enterprise Iittala was awarded an
honorary prize in the competition. Veikkaus’
annual report was praised for its rich and distinctive approach and its
outstanding form. Our new visual identity was noted in the justifications
for the prize. The report was described as fresh and easy to use.
The Galerie Art Design & Print Awards 2007 competition
rewards good print work every year. It focuses on the quality of the
printing, the organization of the contents, and readability. In addition to
rating annual reports, the competition rewards the best piece of print work and
the book of the year. Veikkaus’ annual report
and CSR report 2007 will be published in Finnish in March and in English in
April. SOURCE: Veikkaus’ eNews.
CONTACT:
Veikkaus Oy, Communications, Tel: +35820 750 750, Fax: +35820 750 7145, Email:
tiedotus@veikkaus.fi.
La Française des Jeux Launches A Corporate
Advertising Campaign On The Theme: “Sport Owes You A
Lot” CEDEX, France (February
18, 2008) -- La Française des Jeux
has enjoyed strong ties to the world of sports for 30 years. Its major
contribution to sports funding, its partnership with the French Olympic
movement, its cycling team and its Foundation’s sponsorship activities all
illustrate the company’s commitment to sports. At
a time when citizens expect companies to play an active role in community life,
La Française des Jeux has decided to make its voice heard in the print
press (daily newspapers & magazines) and online (www.francaisedesjeux.com)
from 18 February to 31 March. The goal is to raise public awareness of its
wide-ranging commitment to sports.
Featuring five
advertisements by Young & Rubicam, the campaign highlights some noteworthy
facts:
- As well as supporting some 45,000
sporting associations, La Française des Jeux allocates 2.25% of the
stakes – i.e. €194 million – to the CNDS* (National Sports
Development Centre), thereby providing more than 80% of the centre’s
funding.
- Over the past 15 years, La
Française des Jeux Foundation has been sponsoring talented young French
athletes and supporting sports-related educational projects. Since the
Foundation was created, it has provided financial assistance to 400
organisations and to 300 athletes from 37 federations.
- The company is strongly committed
to fostering ethical behaviour in sports.
It takes a firm stand in the
fight against doping through the cycling team it sponsors.
According to chief executive
Christophe Blanchard-Dignac,
“La Française des Jeux’s contribution to sports is
consistent with the lottery’s mission, which is to support causes in the
public interest. European state lotteries provided some €2 billion in
funding to sports programmes for the general public in 2006. In addition to
contributing funds, the campaign offers a good opportunity to highlight our
commitment to sports and the unique nature of state lotteries’ involvement
in sporting activities." La Française des
Jeux generated turnover of €9.3 billion in 2007, with sports betting games
accounting for €383 million or 4% of turnover. Nb: campaign press kit (visuals available upon request, only
in French). *The CNDS is a public institution whose
primary objective is to develop sports programmes for the general public and to
help build and refurbish sports facilities in France. CONTACT: Patrick Germain – Sophie Royer, Tel.: + 33 (0)1
41 10 33 82 – Fax: + 33 (0)1 41 10 34 54 – e-mail:
presse@lfdj.com. SOURCE: La Française des Jeux.
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