IGT
Secures Sports Betting Platform License in West Virginia
LONDON, U.K. (August 22, 2018) --
International Game Technology PLC ("IGT") (NYSE: IGT) today announced that the
Company received an interim license by the West Virginia Lottery Commission to
provide its PlayShot integrated sports betting platform in the State.
IGT is the global leader in gaming.
We enable players to experience their favorite games across all channels and
regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Interactive and
Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment
in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise and
leading-edge technology, our gaming solutions anticipate the demands of
consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local
presence and relationships...
With this approval, casino operators
in West Virginia now have the option to partner with IGT to participate in the
rapidly evolving U.S. sports betting market.
"Receiving approval from the West
Virginia Lottery Commission to deploy IGT's PlayShot sports betting solution
throughout the State continues IGT's momentum in pioneering sports betting
across the U.S., and creates additional new market opportunities for IGT,"
said Enrico Drago, IGT Senior Vice President PlayDigital. "This distinction
acknowledges the reliability, security and market-readiness of IGT's PlayShot
solution, and creates opportunities for IGT to further differentiate our sports
betting solution in the marketplace."
About IGT
IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader
in gaming. We enable players to experience their favorite games across all
channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Digital
and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial
investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise
and leading-edge technology, our gaming solutions anticipate the demands of
consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local
presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100
countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest
standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has over 12,000
employees. For more information, please visit
www.igt.com.
CONTACT:
- Robert K. Vincent, Corporate Communications, toll
free in U.S./Canada (844) IGT-7452; outside U.S./Canada (401) 392-7452
- Michelle Schenk, Global Communications, Gaming
(702) 669-8177
- James Hurley, Investor Relations, (401)
392-7190
- Simone Cantagallo, (+39) 06 51899030; for Italian
media inquiries
SOURCE: IGT.
Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Unveils This is
Winning Sign in Downtown Little Rock
LITTLE ROCK, AR (August 21, 2018)
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) today unveiled an interactive
This is Winning sign outside its downtown Little Rock Claim
Center.
The 15-ft long by up to 6-ft high
sign is permanently located outside of the Union Plaza Building near the
Lotterys first floor Claim Center.
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Facing West Capitol Avenue, the sign
includes the following three-dimensional letters: This is W_NNING. Individuals
are encouraged to interact with the sign and stand as the I in
W_NNING. Photos can be shared on social media channels with the
hashtag #ThisIsWinning.
With this sign, we really
wanted to enhance the winner experience for our players and anyone in downtown
Little Rock who wants to come and take their picture, said Donna Bragg,
ASL Advertising and Marketing Director. There are so many different ways
people are winning with the Lottery including our state, the players and
most importantly thousands of students who have received a
scholarship.
Earlier this year, ASL launched a
new brand campaign called This is Winning to represent its vast
contributions to the state of Arkansas and to higher education. Since 2009, the
Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has provided more than $781 million in funding for
more than 275,000 college scholarships, awarded more than $2.6 billion in
prizes and $226 million in retailer commissions and provided millions in state
and federal tax revenue.
CONTACT: Katherine Vasilos, T:
501-282-9518 for more information.
SOURCE: The Arkansas Scholarship
Lottery (ASL).
La
Lotería Nacional para la Asistencia Pública (Lotenal) Pays Homage
to Roberto Gómez Bolaños "Chespirito"
"What moves the National Lottery
is public assistance and being part of this movement is a noble cause and
worthy of recognition. There is no better way to help than participate"
Roberto Gómez Fernández, son of Roberto Gómez
Bolaños and President of Grupo Chespirito
MEXICO (August 22, 2018) -- The
National Lottery for Public Assistance (LOTENAL) unveiled the commemorative
ticket for the Major Draw No. 3683, with which it will pay tribute to Roberto
Gómez Bolaños "Chespirito", which will be held next Tuesday,
September 4, 2018.
The event was headed by Eugenio
Garza Riva Palacio, General Director of the National Lottery and Forecast for
Public Assistance, and by Producer Roberto Gómez Fernández, son
of Roberto Gómez Bolaños and President of Grupo Chespirito.
In this context, Eugenio Garza Riva
Palacio explained the importance of the figure of "Chespirito" in Mexican
television and society, while recognizing that for the history of the National
Lottery it is very significant to pay tribute to him for what he represented as
director, actor, producer, musician and screenwriter.
He added: "few men with the
talent to entertain like him; To honor his memory is to remember the best of
white Mexican humor. With his characters and programs we remember our childhood
and childhood, and now as adults every time we see Chespirito , we move to an
emblematic era of Mexican cinema and television that transcended borders,"
he said.
Group photography led by Lic.
Eugenio Garza Riva Palacio and Roberto Gómez Fernández
accompanied by a girl and a boy yelling.
Similarly, the General Director of
LOTENAL said that the present draw "will surely be one of the most
successful, with a record in sales due to the importance of the figure of Mr.
Roberto Gómez Bolaños."
For his part, Roberto Gómez
Fernández thanked the LOTENAL for the integration of the image in the
tickets of this draw with the characters created by his father, and recognized
the contribution of the National Lottery, both to Mexican television when
broadcasting for the first time an emission from its main building, as well as
to Mexican society through the dissemination of historical facts and characters
through their cachitos.
"What moves the National Lottery
is public assistance and being part of this movement is a noble cause and
worthy of recognition. There is no better way to help than participate. Besides
being very beautiful characters, now they are part of the history of the LOTENA
L," he said.
The Major Draw No. 3683, alluding to
the homage of Mr. Roberto Gómez Bolaños "Chespirito ", will have
an accumulated stock of 54 million pesos, with a Grand Prize of 18 million
pesos in three series.
SOURCE: La Lotería Nacional
para la Asistencia Pública (Lotenal).
Jumbo
Interactive Release FY18 Preliminary Final Results
- TTV $183.1 million an increase of 26%
- Revenue $39.8 million an increase of
23%
- NPAT from continuing operations $11.8 million
an increase of 55%
- NPAT from total operations $12.1 million - an
increase of 115%
- Fully franked final dividend declared 11.0
cents
TOOWONG, Queensland, Australia
(August 17, 2018) -- Leading internet lottery business, Jumbo Interactive
(ASX:JIN), today released results that are highlighted by the strong increase
in net profit after tax notwithstanding only a nominal increase in the number
of large jackpots.

It is pleasing to see the
strong increase in Revenue and NPAT from continuing operations which can be
attributed largely to improved customer activity on the new software platform
enabling the team to make the most of available jackpots, and operating
leverage, said Mr Mike Veverka, CEO and Founder of Jumbo Interactive.
The business is well placed
for growth in the years ahead and we continue to value the
relationship with Tabcorp (ASX: TAH)
as a priority, said Mr Veverka.
Customers have been migrated over
the past year to the new software platform enabling greater customer engagement
and activity. Performance and agility have also been enhanced improving the
overall purchase experience and reducing the release time of new products.
The benefits of the Jumbo
Lotto software platform are well and truly being seen in the strong start to
FY2019 with ten large jackpots to date and a $100 million Powerball this
week, he said.
Cash levels remain strong with total
cash at $47.9 million and Net assets of $47.2 million as at 30 June 2018.
Players funds were constant at just under $8 million and cash net of
players funds available to the Company remains strong at $40.1
million.
With continued good growth prospects
and a current healthy cash reserve position, the Dividend Policy remains at 85%
of NPAT.
A final ordinary dividend is
therefore declared for H2 FY2018 of 11.0c (2017: 5.0c) for a total ordinary
dividend for FY2018 18.5c (2017: 8.5c).
Record date: 31
August 2018
Payment date: 21
September 2018
Australia
A number of Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) are used to monitor customer activity underpinning ticket
sales and revenue through ozlotteries.com

The KPIs were largely affected by
marketing initiatives (both for new customers and reengagement of existing
customers) together with the large jackpot activity (3% increase in number and
17% in average value), as well as a positive contribution from additional
Charity game sales.
Charity Lotteries
Sales of Charity lotteries have
increase by 60% to $6.1m (2017: $3.8m) and have increased to
3.3% of TTV (2017: 2.6%). The number
of charities during the financial year has been maintained at five and at least
one further charity is expected to be added in FY2019, with expected continued
good growth.
JUMBO Annual General
Meeting
Details of the Companys Annual
General Meeting are as follows:
Date: Thursday, 25
October 2018
Time: 5:00pm
Venue: Hopgood
Ganim Lawyers
Level 7
Waterfront Place
1 Eagle Street
Brisbane, QLD, 4000
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About Jumbo Interactive
Jumbo Interactive Limited has been
listed in Australia (ASX: JIN) since 1999.
In 2000, Jumbo sold its first
lottery ticket on the internet and witnessed a dramatic rise in
popularity due to the convenience of
buying tickets online. At first customers were attracted to the security of
never losing a ticket and the convenience of automatic number checking, prize
payments and auto-play. In 2012, Jumbo released a lottery app for the iPhone
and a new
transition began driven by the
convenience of mobile lotteries. This was followed by further
innovations such as features for the
Apple watch, Google Voice and most recently, Lotto Party.
The Company operates the popular
website www.ozlotteries.com in Australia under agreements with the Tabcorp
Group (ASX: TAH), following the merger with the Tatts Group in December
2017.
Jumbo has proven its ability to open
up new lottery markets with its innovative technology and internet marketing
initiatives that have brought lotteries to new demographics via the
internet.
Jumbo has succeeded in targeting a
younger and more mobile demographic with mobile now accounting for 75% of all
customer interactions.
For further information: Mike
Veverka, CEO and Executive Director, Ph: 07 3831 3705.
SOURCE: Jumbo Interactive
Limited
The
Robust Final Quarter of the Year Traditionally Experienced by a Number of the
Worlds Lotteries Helped Push Global Lottery Sales Up 3.8%
Year-on-Year.

BASEL, Switzerland (August 16, 2018)
-- The robust final quarter of the year traditionally experienced by a number
of the worlds lotteries helped push global lottery sales up 3.8%
year-on-year.
Chinas lotteries continued to
power strong growth in Asia Pacific, with the region recording a full-year on
full-year increase in sales of 7.4%. Growth at mainland Chinas lotteries
was built on the back of final quarter results, which saw sales rise by 10.5%
for Q4 2017, versus the corresponding revenue period in 2016.
Latin America and Africa also
experienced a fine 2017, reporting twelve-month on twelve-month growth rates of
6.2% and 4.9% respectively, even as sales moderated during Q4 2017, where
quarter-on-quarter growth slowed to 2.7% and 1.9% respectively.
North America enjoyed a strong final
quarter of 2017, with Q4-on-Q4 sales up 6.7%, helping to buoy a quieter year
that saw twelve-month on twelve-month sales inch up 2.1%.
Slightly stronger second-half
results helped Europe to steady over the course of 2017. Year-on-year, the
region grew a modest 0.6%.
Asia Pacific: AsiaPacs
growth spurt continues
Rarely a quarter goes by without the
WLA reporting strong growth from mainland Chinas lotteries. Q4 2017 was
no exception as Chinas Sports Lottery enjoyed an excellent 15.6% rise in
sales while the China Welfare Lottery grew by 5.8%.
While Q4 2017 produced the
years best results, both of mainland Chinas lotteries maintained
their momentum throughout the year. Over the course of 2017, the China Sports
Lottery boosted sales by 11.4% to CNY 209.7 billion, while the China Welfare
Lottery increased sales a creditable 5.1% to CNY 217 billion.
Sales increased across 26 of
Chinas provinces, with the Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Hubei, Guangdong, and Fujian
provinces taking center stage. Sports betting continues to be the nations
fastest-growing product, with sales rising 21.4% year-on-year to CNY 92.9
billion. However, in terms of sheer volume, sports betting does not yet compete
with draw-based games, which increased 7.3% year-on-year to a massive CNY 262.8
billion. Putting this into perspective, draw-based games currently account for
61.5% of the market in mainland China, while sports betting, the next largest
market segment, accounts for 21.8% of total lottery sales.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club enjoyed
8.6% growth in sales in the fourth quarter of 2017, as compared to the fourth
quarter of 2016, and 9.1% growth year-on-year. The strong performance was
mainly driven by an impressive 11.2% growth in racing, thanks to the addition
of simulcast racedays and local race meetings, together with the continued
growth of the customer base and commingling, underlining the growing
attractiveness of Hong Kongs world-class horse racing.
Latin America: CAIXAs
Mega-Sena completes mega-year
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With sales at Mexicos
Lotería National para la Asistencia Pública and
Pronósticos essentially holding steady year-on-year, and sales at
Chiles Polla Chilena contracting sharply, Brazil was largely responsible
for Latin Americas growth in 2017. Sales at Caixa Econômica Federal
grew 8.14% over the course of the year, as against 2016, generating BRL 13.88
billion in revenues. Taking inflation over the period of 2.95% into account,
real growth was a healthy 5.04%.
The Mega-Sena, Brazil's biggest
lottery, was the great highlight of 2017. It closed out 2017 with total sales
of BRL 5.8 billion, exceeding the 2016 total sales of Mega-Sena by more than
14.2%. The success of Mega-Sena in 2017 was due in no small part to the special
New Years Eve draw Mega de Virada, for which 71 million tickets were sold
in 2017. Total sales for this draw were BRL 890.9 million, up 21.1% on 2016.
Collectively, sales of Mega-Sena (including Mega de Virada) in December 2017
were more than BRL 1.18 billion, or 61% of revenues for the month.
Another game in the product
portfolio of Caixa Econômica Federal that enjoyed an exceptional 2017 was
Timemania, which saw sales of BRL 475.9 million, the largest subscription in
the games history. In addition, Timemania also offered the two largest
awards in its history in 2017, of BRL 31.8 million and BRL 32.4 million
respectively.
The sterling performance of Caixa
Econômica Federal guaranteed BRL 6.55 billion in transfers to legal
beneficiaries, and BRL 4.72 billion in prizes to bettors. The average spend per
ticket was BRL 5.00, representing an increase of almost 3% compared to the
average spend per ticket in 2016.
Africa: The Mauritian National
Lottery reaps dividends
In Afrca, Moroccos Loterie
Nationale and La Marocaine des Jeux (MDJS) enjoyed the strongest showing of the
continents lotteries, recording growth rates with 17.5% and 10.8% rises
respectively. The Mauritian National Lottery ran in a very close third.
Both the national lotteries of
Morocco and Mauritius enjoyed outstanding closing quarters, with Moroccos
Loterie Nationale increasing sales by 24.3% and Mauritius boosting sales by
23%. The former also boasted the best growth rates for the calendar year with a
growth rate of 17.5%, beating all other lotteries contributing to the WLA
Quarterly Lottery Sales Indicator.
Mauritian National Lottery operator
Lottotech boosted sales by 10.7% over the course of the year. This pushed net
profit after tax up an excellent 25.7% to MUR 110.8 million. The National
Lottery has laboured under an advertising ban since 2015, and, while net profit
has yet to recover, transaction levels are on track to hit pre-ban levels.
The operator has been fighting the
ban in court but a systematic focus on increasing the player base through
innovation, communications, and responsible cost management is reaping
dividends.
North America: Loto-Québec
shines in North America
Canadas Loto-Québec led
the way in North America with an excellent Q4 2017, helping the French-Canadian
lottery to increased revenues for a third year running. According to
Loto-Québecs 20172018 annual report, total revenues for the
fiscal year (April 2017March 2018) were up 3.7%.
Commenting on the results,
Loto-Québec noted that sales of lottery products, which compose a major
segment of its gaming business by revenues, are on the upswing. Quebecers
enthusiastically adopted Grande Vie, the pan-Canadian product launched toward
the end of 2016, with Loto-Québec holding a significant market share
(33.4%). Instant lotteries and event betting also proved popular over the
course of the 2017 financial year, growing at a higher than average rate.
The gaming establishment sector,
consisting of VLTs in bars and brasseries, as well as gaming, bingo and Kinzo
halls, recorded slightly higher revenues. Revenue growth (8.1%) across the four
casinos was mainly due to an increased focus on varying entertainment
offerings.
Loto-Québecs online
gaming sector is the organizations smallest business sector by revenues
but it is also the fastest growing. Over the past fiscal year, total revenues
for all types of online games combined reached CAD 118.0 million, an increase
of 37.5%. Online gaming is now consolidated at the new lotoquebec.com portal,
which bring together all types of online games in a single location. The
initiative has simplified navigation between all product lines to provide
customers with a more fluid and user-friendly online experience.
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Commenting on the FY 2017 results,
President and CEO of Loto-Québec Lynne Roiter said, Our excellent
performance is attributable to the combined efforts of all our business sectors
to make our offerings more attractive and apply efficient management practices
in compliance with our responsible commercialization framework.
In the United States, the California
Lottery was the countrys fastest growing lottery. It also had a good
October-December revenue period, with sales rising 9.3% quarter-on-quarter.
This contributed significantly to a rise in sales of 3.8% year-on-year, with
increased scratchcard sales of USD 482.3 million partially offsetting decreased
Powerball sales of USD 242.9 million.
The lotterys scratchcards (or
Scratchers, as it brands them) continue to grow at a significant rate 25 years
after they were initially launched. The increase in Scratchers sales centered
around the USD 30 price point and the lotterys extended play product
lines like bingo, crosswords, and other new products that consumers spent a
little more time playing.
Florida and Tennessee also enjoyed
notable success in the final quarter of 2017, with both lotteries recording
quarter-on-quarter sales increases of just under 9%, and coincidentally similar
growth rates of just under 3% year-on-year.
Europe: Central Europe shows the
way
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The central European lotteries of
the Czech Republic and Hungary posted the best results in Europe in 2017, with
Frances FDJ also enjoying a strong year.
Indeed, Hungarys
Szerencsejáték Zrt. recorded a twelve-month on twelve-month
increase in sales of 13.1%, a figure that was only eclipsed among the
contributing lotteries by the 17.5% increase in sales of Moroccos Loterie
Nationale.
With revenues reaching new heights
in 2017, Szerencsejátéks Zrt.s growth was driven by a
rise in sports betting, which grew an outstanding 16.1% year-on-year and which
now accounts for almost 45% of the Hungarian lotterys total turnover.
Draw-based games performed well compared to the previous quarter, but their
market share continued to decline despite several record high and major
jackpots during the year.
Szerencsejáték
Zrt.s final quarter was up a healthy 9% on the previous year, thanks to a
successful marketing campaign that boosted Christmas instant tickets and other
seasonal instants.
The Czech Republics SAZKA
achieved another peak year with total sales growing 9.8% year-on-year. Its
growth was driven by all of its product verticals, with the number lotteries
segment generating 65% of total sales. The major growth driver was instant
lotteries, both printed and electronic, which saw strong increases of 45%
year-on-year. This was driven by both the innovation of the instants portfolio
and the successful launch of the online business, including e-scratches. This
progress was complemented by a 22% year-on-year growth in sports betting
following the products integration into SAZKAs new online gaming
portal.
The Greek lottery OPAP saw total
sales increase 4.6% year-on-year and a gross gaming revenue of EUR 1.5 billion.
This performance was largely attributable to the launch of new products,
especially VLTs launched in January 2017; the roll-out of the new terminals is
still in progress. Innovations in the sports betting portfolio and
contributions from self-service betting terminals also helped boost
performance. The continued growth is being supported by the launch of a new
retail and on-line betting platform this year.
Strong results of both Czech and
Greek lotteries, both part of SAZKA Group investments, complemented by further
acquisitions in Austria, Italy, and Croatia, show the benefits of market
investments, innovation drive, and sharing of best practices within one of the
largest European lottery groups.
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Frances FDJ was delighted by
the progress made by its transformational FDJ 2020 growth project; this focuses
on new digital technologies for both gaming and customers. EBITDA grew 5.3% to
total EUR 316 million on the back of 2.8% growth in net income to EUR 181
million.
The FDJ 2020 project has resulted in
increased player stakes (up 5.7% for 2017), a stable customer base of 26
million players, and a digital transformation that has resulted in EUR 1.7
billion in digital stakes in 2017, 3.5 times higher than three years ago. The
results emphasize FDJs contribution to national wealth creation and
employment, with the French national lottery now contributing 0.2% of national
GDP. Explained CEO Stéphane Pallez, FDJ continues to improve its
operational, financial, and non-financial performance through the
implementation of its strategic project FDJ 2020, designed to guide the
business towards the consumer habits and gaming technologies of the future. Its
results have contributed to an increase in national wealth and to the social
initiatives of its longstanding military veteran shareholders. It has boosted
employment and generated significant economic flows throughout the country. In
a fast-changing gaming sector in France, Europe, and worldwide, from a
customer, technological, and competitive point of view, FDJ is currently the
second largest European lottery and is ready to face the related challenges
head-on.
For third quarter 2017 results, see here.
Looking forward
The WLA will continue to track the
progress of global lottery sales in future editions of the WLA QLSI. Once again
we thank all WLA member lotteries participating in this initiative, and look
forward to bringing you the first quarter 2018 results shortly.
Jean-Luc Moner-Banet
WLA President
EGBA
Issues Statement on Norways Proposed Payment Blocking
Measures
BRUSSELS, Belgium (August 21, 2018)
-- Following the closure of the Norwegian governments consultation on its
proposal to block payment transactions to and from foreign gaming websites, the
European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has called on the Norwegian
authorities to turn away from difficult-to-enforce and counterproductive
payment blocking measures and, instead, introduce an online gambling regulation
which is modern, open to competition, protects consumers, and reflects consumer
choice and the reality of the digital age of borderless internet.
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EGBA fully supports the Norwegian
governments objective to create a well-regulated and controlled
environment for online gambling in order to fully protect consumers, but
believes that a transparent and non-discriminatory licensing regime, open to
all gambling operators who can fulfil the regulatory requirements set by the
Norwegian authorities, is a more appropriate and effective means to achieve
this. Payment blockings of foreign websites is not a realistic or effective
measure to control internet activity: they are easy to circumvent, virtually
impossible to enforce for Norwegian banks, and create an artificial market by
shutting off EU-licensed payment service providers.
EGBA also has significant concerns
that the proposals are illegal under Norwegian and EU law and has already
initiated court proceedings challenging similar payment blocking initiatives in
Norway.
From a consumer
perspective, there are only two licensed gambling providers in Norway
both state-owned and this is just not sustainable in an age when
consumers can easily search around the internet for their preferred choice of
gaming product. A fundamental rethink and reworking of the Norwegian online
gaming regime is therefore necessary to ensure that local and foreign operators
can co-exist and have equal access to a well-regulated market which meets the
realities of consumer demand for different gaming products. This can be easily
achieved through a national licencing regime, such has been recently introduced
in Sweden, which would enable the Norwegian gambling authority to bring the
activity of foreign websites under its control, alongside existing state-owned
operators. Thats exactly what the overwhelming majority of European
countries have been doing, and thats exactly what we are urging Norway to
do, said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, EGBA.
EGBAs concerns follow a
recently published report by the consultancy Menon which found that a
multi-licensing scheme, if introduced in Norway, would yield more positive
socio-economic results, increase regulatory control of the Norwegian market and
the protection of Norwegian consumers, and allow Norways gambling policy
to more effectively meet its political objectives.
SOURCE: European Gaming and Betting
Association.
Lottery Security Reports Latest Compliance Check; Makes Three
Arrests
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (August 17,
2018) -- This week, law enforcement agents with the Florida Lottery's Division
of Security conducted 80 compliance checks as part of its on-going Operation
Integrity efforts. Lottery retail locations in Citrus, Dixie, Marion, and
Putnam counties were included.
One arrest was made at Circle K,
located at 6296 West Gulf to Lake Highway in Crystal River. The store clerk
arrested was charged with Grand Theft (violation of section 812.014.2(C)1,
Florida Statutes).
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One arrest was made at Marathon,
located at 15958 Southeast Highway 19 in Cross City. The store clerk arrested
was charged with Grand Theft (violation of section 812.014.2(C)1, Florida
Statutes).
One arrest was made at Super
Grocery, located at 1211 Northwest 10th Street in Ocala. The store clerk
arrested was charged with Grand Theft (violation of section 812.014.2(C)1,
Florida Statutes).
Security compliance checks are part
of the Lottery's on-going effort to heighten awareness of what it does as an
organization to combat illegal activity. The Florida Lottery has zero tolerance
for fraudulent activity by players or retailers.
The Florida Lottery's Division of
Security works to identify and take action against criminal behavior involving
its retailers. If you notice any suspicious activity involving a Lottery
retailer or your Lottery purchase, contact the Lottery's Division of Security
immediately at (850) 487-7730. The earlier you report suspicious activity the
easier it is to investigate.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY
The Florida Lottery is responsible
for contributing more than $33 billion to education and sending more than
775,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
The Florida Lottery reinvests 98
percent of its revenue back into Florida's economy through prize payouts,
commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers and contributions to
education.
Since 1988, Florida Lottery games
have paid more than $56.3 billion in prizes and made more than 2,000 people
millionaires. For more information, please visit
www.flalottery.com.
CONTACT: Florida Lottery
Communications, T: (850) 487-7727.
SOURCE: The Florida Lottery.
Playtech and Kindred Join Deutsche Sportwettenverband
(DSWV)
Dr. Günter Schmid is
the new DSWV Vice President, Dr. Ing. Damir Böhm new member of the
presidium
BERLIN, Germany (August 15, 2018) --
The renowned sports betting providers Playtech BGT Sports (brand: HPYBET) and
Kindred (brand: Unibet) have joined the German Sports Betting Association
(DSWV). Both new members operate in Germany on the basis of a Maltese sports
betting license and are also licensed in several other EU Member States, thus
meeting the strictest standards of transparency and regulatory oversight. The
member companies of the DSWV represent about 90 percent of the total German
sports betting market and are committed to a legally compliant, European law
and market-compliant sports betting regulation in Germany, which is still
missing today.
Playtech, through its subsidiary PBS
Germany Operations GmbH, headquartered in Berlin, runs sports betting offices,
pick-up points and betting terminal locations under the HPYBET brand in
franchise and own operations. Dr. Peter Reinhardt, Managing Director of PBS
Germany Operations, considers modern sports betting regulation, which keeps
pace with market realities in Germany, to be overdue:
"Germany is a very exciting
market for Playtech BGT Sports as the world's leading sports betting software
provider. We welcome the fact that the Federal Republic has made the
fundamental decision to open the sports betting market. However, we also have
to say that it still hangs in the implementation of this decision considerably.
This applies in particular to market-driven regulation, the granting of
authorizations for reputable providers and the effective exclusion of dubious
providers from the market. We hope that Playtech BGT Sports, with its
international regulatory experience, can help pave the way for regulation that
balances the interests of consumers, providers and the state alike."
Anne-Jaap Snijders, General Manager
for Germany, Switzerland and Austria at Kindred, is pleased to be included in
the DSWV, which has made a name for itself as a competent and constructive
voice in the sports betting industry in politics, the media, sports and other
partners:
"Kindred is proud to be a member
of the DSWV and to partner with other leading gambling companies to support the
sustainable development and regulation of the German gambling market. Through
licenses in twelve different markets, Kindred has a wealth of experience that
we would like to share with the German decision-makers via the DSWV. Kindred's
goal is to ensure a secure, reliable and fair environment in all gambling
markets we operate in."
In addition, the DSWV has recently
re-staffed two presidency posts. Dr. Günter Schmid was unanimously
nominated by the general meeting as one of two DSWV Vice Presidents; He follows
Dr. Hans Wolfram Kessler. In addition to the seven-member association
presidency, Dr. Ing. Damir Böhm elected - also unanimously.
DSWV President Mathias Dahms is
pleased about the new additions to the association and the Presidium and sees
the DSWV politically well-positioned:
"In the German sports betting
market, around EUR 7.5 billion was transacted in 2017 - a new record. It is
incomprehensible that the federal states have not yet granted a single license
for sports betting providers, even though the Gambling Treaty of 2012 provides
for the opening of the sports betting market for private providers. As a
representative of all relevant sports betting companies in Germany, the DSWV
will continue to work towards a novella of German sports betting regulation,
which establishes legal security for consumers and providers and allows the
authorities to effectively enforce illegal black market offers. The DSWV
members will continue to bring their decade-long market expertise
constructively into the political process in order to finally bring German
sports betting regulation to fruition. "
About the German Sports Betting
Association
The German Sports Betting
Association (DSWV) was founded in 2014 by the leading German and European
sports betting providers in Berlin and sees itself as a public contact,
especially for politics, sports and the media. All member companies have
licenses in EU member states and are seeking regulation and licensing for the
German market as well. Since 2012, they have paid over 1 billion euros in
sports betting taxes in Germany. Most members are also active as sponsors in
German professional sports.
SOURCE: The German Sports Betting
Association (DSWV) press release.
Camelot Illinois Seeks Proposals for Design and Manufacture of
Permanent Point-of-Sale Items
CHICAGO, Illinois (August 20, 2018)
Camelot Illinois today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for vendors
to design and manufacture Illinois Lottery permanent point of sale items.
A key component of Camelot
Illinois retail plans for Fiscal Year 19 and beyond is to transform the
Illinois Lottery retail experience by investing in new permanent point of sale
equipment. The goal of this project is to modernize all PPOS fixtures and
displays to optimize the promotion of Illinois Lottery products sold in retail
stores. The scope of the project includes the design, manufacture, logistics,
warehousing and installation of all point of sale assets in scope.
Key components are the design and
manufacture of items critical to the Illinois Lottery retail experience,
including:
- Play terminals
- Effective retail displays featuring lottery
products
- Lucky store boards and signs
- Window signs
- Draw game play slip holders
- Lottery ticket checkers
- Additional signage that is in keeping with the
brand / family of specified items that would increase the brand presence in
traditional and new lottery channels.
Camelot Illinois is looking to
establish a contract with term of approximately three years, subject to the
vendors performance and Camelots evolving requirements and
strategy.
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Camelot Illinois intends to secure a
vendor that can begin tooling as early as October 2018 (note this date is
subject to change). Manufacture of the point of sale items should commence
around November 2018 and be complete by December 2018.
Responses should be submitted by
Friday, September 14, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. CST to the attention of:
procurement-services@camelotillinois.com.
Camelot Illinois is encouraging
proposals for businesses owned by minorities, women and persons with
disabilities to generate Business Enterprise Program (BEP) participation.
To learn more about and to register
for the BEP program, please visit the Illinois Department of Central Management
Services
website.
For more information and to download
the RFP, please click
here.
About Camelot Illinois
Camelot Illinois is the new private
manager of the Illinois Lottery. In partnership with the state, Camelot will
operate a modern lottery that truly benefits the people of Illinois. Camelot is
dedicated to working with transparency, integrity and responsibility. The
companys innovative approach places consumers and social responsibility
at its core, providing funding for schools, capital projects and special
causes. Camelot is committed to building an organization with the strength and
experience to grow the lottery and reinforce its rightful position as a force
for good.
CONTACT: Emily Behn, Public
Affairs Associate, T: (312) 898 8792, E:
emily.behn@camelotillinois.com.
SOURCE: Camelot Illinois.
Latest
Gambling Stats Deliver More Funding to the Community
Quarterly statistics
press release 14 August 2018 show more funds available for the
community
Press Release: Gambling Machine
Association of New Zealand (GMANZ)
NEW ZEALAND (August 16, 2018) -- Due
to a 3.1 percent increase in Gaming Machine Proceeds (GMP) from Class 4
Gambling (pokies) in the April-June 2018 quarter there will be more funds
available for community good. Whilst at the same time Problem Gambling
prevalence rates are a flat line and have recently shown a slight reduction.
The quarterly statistics released by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA)
on 14 August 2018 show that GMP increased by $6,846,240 compared to the same
quarter in 2017.
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With on average over 90 percent of
net proceeds going back to the local community with the remainder going to
national and regional areas with local benefits, the grants will continue to
make a positive difference to many local organisations, most of which would
struggle to survive without this funding.
Facilities and activities made
possible by such grants are extensive with around 29,000 applications received
in the last financial year alone. They include a significant contribution to
amateur sport, the operations of professional air rescue and air ambulance
services, hospitals and Hospices throughout New Zealand Along with thousands of
other good community projects and services. No other form of gambling makes
such a significant contribution to community good.
The grants are administered by
Corporate Societies (Trusts) that operate in strict accordance with regulated
standards and restrictions, as prescribed under the Gambling Act and its
regulations.
The Gaming Machine Association of
New Zealand (GMANZ) is pleased about the greater returns to the community but
is concerned about the continued decrease in the numbers of venues and machines
revealed in the statistics. We are concerned that an ongoing reduction in
infrastructure will significantly reduce the amount of funding available in the
future.
GMANZ spokesperson Bruce Robertson
says: Gaming venues such as pubs and clubs provide the strongest form of
gambling controls; they provide a safe, fun and regulated environment to those
who choose this popular form of entertainment. Reduced accessibility to local
venues and machines is likely to drive more players into the world of
unregulated online gambling, with little or no controls and no community
benefit says Bruce
SOURCE: Press Release: Gaming
Machine Association of New Zealand.
Have
You Registered Yet for the WLS 2018 in Buenos Aires?
It is already July, and WLS 2018 in
Buenos Aires, the lottery event of the year, will soon kick-off in grand style.
If you have not yet registered for
this important event, we encourage you to do so today. As a member-based
association with a global reach, a key goal of the WLA is to provide our
members with a platform for learning international lottery best practice, as
well as a forum for networking with lottery colleagues from around the world.
There is no other event in the industry that meets these goals better than the
World Lottery Summit.
In the interest of our attendees, we
have negotiated excellent room rates. We recommend you to act now and take
advantage of this great offer, which will only last until October 12, 2018.
The WLA together with host ALEA look
forward to welcoming you in Buenos Aires for WLS 2018, the WLAs flagship
event.
To register, please
CLICK HERE.
Further information about the
convention can be found at the WLS 2018 website at:
www.worldlotterysummit.org
See you in Buenos Aires!
Sincerely,
Jean-Luc Moner-Banet
WLA President
2018
APLA Regional Conference 8 - 12 October 2018 - Registration
OPEN!
Dear friends of APLA
Hurray! We are pleased to announce
that the Registration for the 2018 APLA Regional Conference is now open!
The details for this event are as
follows:
- Date: 8 - 12 October 2018
(Business Program on 9 - 11 October 2018)\
- Venue: Hilton Kuching Hotel,
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
- Theme:
Rumble in the Jungle
This Conference is being hosted and
organized by Magnum Corporation Sdn Bhd.
A very interesting and varied
business program has been drawn up to keep the attention of the delegates'
interests on all 2.5 days.
Have a read at the ebrochure
attached and you will find we have invited a Global Keynote Speaker, Guest
speakers with domain knowledge on the topics selected, our very own Panelists
from our peers to share their experiences, our popular debate with a
thought-provoking topic and a special half day workshop on Design Thinking. Not
forgetting the sharing from our valued Sponsors on their commitment and
direction towards embracing which new technologies.
Do keep checking the APLA website
for more announcements and updates (www.asiapacific-lotteries.com)
and note that the Closing Date for the Conference Registration and Hotel
booking is 24 September 2018.
See you all in Kuching!
Regards
Beh Swan Swan APLA Secretariat
Administrator
www.asiapacific-lotteries.com
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