IGT Signs Seven Year Contract with the South Dakota Lottery to Provide New Lottery Equipment and Services

LONDON, U.K. (January 15, 2019) -- International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT) announced that its subsidiary IGT Global Solutions Corporation (hereinafter "IGT"), has signed a seven-year contract with the South Dakota Lottery following a competitive procurement. IGT will provide the Lottery with a wide array of products including an updated lottery central system, several of its business intelligence tools, new point-of-sale and self-service lottery terminals, ongoing maintenance, and retailer training. The contract is expected to commence on November 3, 2019 and allows for an additional eight extension years.

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...

"IGT has been our primary lottery vendor since 2009, and with their support, we've been able to deliver more than $2.82 billion to education, developing natural resources, and providing problem gaming treatment services since 1987," said South Dakota Lottery Executive Director Norm Lingle. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with IGT to generate even more funds for these important causes in our state throughout the next seven years."

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"We are pleased to work with the South Dakota Lottery to deliver our industry-leading lottery solutions which will provide the flexibility to help evolve, manage, and grow the Lottery's sales now and in the years ahead," said IGT Chief Operating Officer, Lottery, Jay Gendron. "These products will provide greater insight into player behavior to help the Lottery continue to deliver exciting games and content that players want."

Under the terms of the agreement, the South Dakota Lottery will receive an upgraded lottery central system that includes components of IGT's Aurora™ platform. These components, comprised of Aurora Instants Processing System, Aurora Retailer Manager, and Aurora Claims and Payments Manager, are specially designed to provide ease of use and convenience for the retailer, and actionable analytics for the Lottery to continue to meet player demands. Additional point-of-sale and self-service lottery terminals will be implemented throughout the state.

IGT will also deliver several of its BizApps, industry leading lottery applications including Retailer Wizard, Order Wizard, and Performance Wizard, which will enable the South Dakota Lottery to drive profitable growth by providing actionable insights to more efficiently manage the business and support lottery retailers. In addition, IGT will utilize the iSpeak customized training program to train the Lottery Sales Representatives on the new sales tools they will be using.

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 more than 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.igt.com.

CONTACT:

SOURCE: International Game Technology PLC (IGT).

Governor Kelly Announces Kansas Lottery Executive Director

KANSAS (January 16, 2019) -- Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Stephen Durrell will serve as the Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery. Durrell has served as the Chief Counsel and Assisted Attorney General to the Kansas Lottery since 2007.

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“Stephen brings decades of experience in business and regulatory environments, particularly in innovative and creative business solutions, which will serve the Kansas Lottery well,” said Governor Kelly. “I look forward to his leadership in this dynamic agency.”

At the Lottery, Durrell wrote all rules and regulations with regards to all games sold, drafted and negotiated contracts by the agency, and oversaw day to day legal operations.

He was directly involved in negotiation and drafting contracts with potential casino managers under the Kansas Expanded Lottery Act, ensuring a multi-million/billion dollar revenue stream to the State of Kansas.

“As a life-long Kansan with an expansive career in the gaming area, I’m honored to lead the Kansas Lottery at this exciting time,” said Durrell. “We’ve made significant progress in this agency in the past years and I look forward to continuing that growth.”

Previous to working at the Kansas Lottery, Durrell served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission.

He received his J.D. from Washburn University Law School.

SOURCE: Office of the Governor.

Kentucky Lottery Sales and Net Income Charge Ahead in First Six Months of the Fiscal Year 2019

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (January 15, 2019) -- Kentucky Lottery sales have closed the first half of the fiscal year higher than any other period in the organization’s history.

July-December sales for the lottery came in at $544.2 million. That’s a full $36.5 million (7.2%) more than the same period last year, which was the previous record-holder for the six month sales period.

Net income in turn grew at an even higher percentage. This was $147 million for the period, which is $16.5 million (12.6%) more than what was generated in the same period last year.

According to Lottery President and CEO Tom Delacenserie, the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot run has been a huge factor in the success.

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“We’ve nearly sold as many Mega Millions in the first six months of the fiscal year as we expected to sell for the entire year,” he said. Sales for the game in this period were $42.1 million, a whopping $24.5 million (138.8%) increase.

Delacenserie also pointed to stronger-than-anticipated scratch-off ticket sales. That category has $310.3 million in sales, up $15.5 million (5.3%) from the previous period last year.

Sales of the lottery’s $20 tickets in particularly have jumped, seeing a nearly 82% sales increased from the previous year.

“We have several new initiatives we’re not quite ready to talk about on tap for the rest of the fiscal year, so this trend of success looks to be the roadmap moving forward in FY19,” Delacenserie said.

He also predicted strong sales should lead to the lottery’s third straight year of sales in excess of $1 billion.

The Kentucky Lottery has earned over $5.3 billion for the Commonwealth since 1989.  KLC dividends pay for college scholarships, grants and education programs.

Visit kheaa.com to find out more about grants and scholarships paid for by the KLC.

For More Information CONTACT:  Chip Polston or Jennifer Cunningham, T: (502) 560-1675.

SOURCE: The Kentucky Lottery Corp.

Lotto Niedersachsen Looks Back with Satisfaction on 2018

German gambling regulation has proven itself and is fit for the future

• €351 million in profits for the players
• €295 million for the common good
• 22 Lower Saxony became millionaires

HANNOVER, Germany (January 11, 2019) -- Lotto-Niedersachsen is satisfied with the course of the year 2018. Lower Saxony has spent around 726 million euros on stakes in state lotteries and sports betting - an increase of 4.1% over the previous year. In Lower Saxony, 22 players became millionaires. From the point of view of Axel Holthaus and Sven Osthoff, the managing directors of Lotto Niedersachsen, the current German gambling regulation - also in the fast-paced digital world - has proven itself and is fit for the future.

Thus, both directors reject the players who speak badly about German gambling regulation and demand extensive liberalization in the German gambling market.

Politicians should not lightly question well-regulated gambling regulation, which has also been largely confirmed by the jurisprudence of recent years.

Wins: 22 new millionaires, 118 six-digit profits

Lotto Niedersachsen distributed a total of around € 351 million in profits to the participants in the 52 event weeks of 2018.

The Lower Saxony still prefers the Lotto 6aus49, introduced in Lower Saxony in 1956. Nearly every second euro was spent in 2018, a total of around € 331 million.

But the lottery Eurojackpot is also expanding its popularity with us Lower Saxony: over 18% of the stakes were spent on the Europe-wide lottery.

One reason for this: the high jackpots from the Euro Jackpot in 2018 particularly delighted all of Europe: in total, the jackpot amount was € 90 million in 13 weeks.

To the special luck for 11 Lower Saxony players who became millionaires thanks to the Eurojackpot.

Last year, 22 game participants achieved millions in profits with the products of Lotto Niedersachsen - thus occupying Lower Saxony's third place in the millionaires ranking.

Eleven of the new millionaires won the Europe-wide lottery Eurojackpot, seven with the classic Lotto 6aus49, two with the environmental lottery Bingo !, one with the lottery GlücksSpirale and one with the add-on lottery Spiel 77.

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The last win was the highest in 2018, namely the sum of € 8,377,777.00. A game participant from Diepholz district was pleased about that.

A total of 118 high profits of at least € 100,000 were paid to players in Lower Saxony.

Responsibility for Lower Saxony

As a company based in Lower Saxony, Lotto Niedersachsen bears responsibility for the people in the country: for the customers, for the employees and not least for the common good.

The added value remains almost completely in our state.

In total, Lotto Niedersachsen transferred around € 295 million (previous year: € 284 million) to lottery and sports betting taxes, gambling duties and special-purpose revenues to the state of Lower Saxony and the beneficiaries.

The premium supplier in Lower Saxony

The ambition of Lotto Niedersachsen continues to be to remain the premium provider of gambling in Lower Saxony.

This includes on the one hand the demand for high-quality and competitive lottery products and on the other hand the comprehensive compliance with the player protection.

Axel Holthaus and Sven Osthoff look to the new year with zest for action: "Lotto Niedersachsen will continue to focus on sustainable customer orientation in 2019 and align its activities with customer needs. Our customers should enjoy our products."

SOURCE: Lotto-Niedersachsen.

Tennessee Lottery Celebrates 15 Years, Best Quarterly Return to Education Since Launch

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (January 16, 2019) -- As the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation marks its 15th anniversary of ticket sales this week, it announces a record quarterly transfer of $122.9 million returned for education, breaking the previous record set in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2016.

Since Jan. 20, 2004, the Lottery has raised $4.85 billion for all education programs funded with Lottery dollars, and more than 1.3 million scholarships and grants have been awarded.

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“What an incredible 15 years!” said Rebecca Hargrove, President and CEO of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.

“This record transfer to education couldn’t have been possible without the help of so many. From the enthusiasm of our players and hard work of our retailers to guidance from our Board of Directors and the dedication and talent of our Lottery employees, this success is a true team effort.”

Additional details about funds generated for the past 15 years include:

• More than $13.2 billion in prizes won by players, with 259 tickets sold worth $1 million or more
• More than $1.2 billion paid in retailer commissions
• More than $19.2 billion in gross ticket sales

Since the first awards were given in the fall of 2004, Lottery-funded programs have grown to include not only HOPE Scholarships, Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, but multiple scholarships and grants, after-school programs, and an energy-efficient schools program as well.

For additional information, visit tnlottery.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. Have Fun. Play Responsibly.

CONTACT: Kym Gerlock, T: 615-324-6556, E: kym.gerlock@tnlottery.com.

SOURCE: Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.

Arkansas Lottery Breaks Weekly Record for Instant Ticket Sales

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (January 11, 2019) --The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) set another sales record last week when scratch-off ticket sales reached $9.1 million – the highest instant ticket sales week in a January since the lottery began in 2009. Coupled with strong draw games sales, the first week of January ended with total sales exceeding $11 million.

“January is typically the month we see our instant ticket sales increase and continue throughout the Spring,” said ASL Director Bishop Woosley. “December was our best December for instant ticket sales ever (more than $38.1 million), so hopefully, this trend is an indicator that our instant ticket sales may be even stronger this Spring than last.”

Woosley attributes the recent sales successes to great new games along with creative advertising, focused retail execution and working as efficiently as possible, coupled with low gas prices and a good economy.

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So far this fiscal year, the ASL is up more than $7 million in instant ticket sales and more than $18 million in draw game sales versus budget.

“Most importantly,” said Woosley, “We are now up more than $7 million in proceeds versus budget. That means more lottery scholarships for students in Arkansas if we can maintain this increase for the rest of the fiscal year. We are in a phenomenal position heading into the second half of the fiscal year.”

The lottery finished fiscal year 2018 on June 30 with its best sales and revenue ever. Sales reached $499,704,976, and revenue was $500,490,212. So far in fiscal year 2019 ASL’s total sales have increased 4.6 percent.

To read the most recent Monthly Disclosure Report presented to the Arkansas Legislative Council Lottery Oversight Subcommittee, go to Reports on the About Us page at www.MyArkansasLottery.com or click here.

About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery

More than 92 cents of every dollar of Lottery revenue goes to prizes, scholarships, retailer commissions, and other expenses in Arkansas. Since 2009, the Lottery has provided more than $781 million for more than 302,000 college scholarships, more than $2.7 billion in prizes to players, about $238 million in retailer commissions and more than $121 million state and federal tax revenue.

Follow the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit MyArkansasLottery.com for more information on scholarships, winners, games, odds, promotions – and to join The Club for free. To hear winning numbers, call the Winning Numbers Hotline at 501-682-IWON (4966). To get help with problem gambling, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

CONTACT: Kara Lee Ford | Campaign Coordinator, O 501.683.1646 | C 501.920.6287

SOURCE: Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (www.MyArkansasLottery.com).

Camelot to Launch ‘Set For Life’ – A Brand New Annuity Game Offering A Top Prize of £10,000 A Month for 30 Years

Launch of new game rounds off new-look portfolio that offers something for everyone as the national lottery enters its 25th birthday year

U.K. (January 11, 2019) -- Camelot UK Lotteries Limited (‘Camelot’) today announced details of ‘Set For Life’ – an exciting new draw-based game from The National Lottery ¬that will offer a top prize of £10,000 a month for 30 years. Tickets for the new game will cost £1.50 per line and will go on sale on Friday 15 March. Draws will be held every Monday and Thursday, with the first draw taking place on Monday 18 March*. Players will be able to buy tickets in any of the The National Lottery’s 45,000 retail outlets, as well as at www.national-lottery.co.uk, and on both The National Lottery’s iOS app and more recently-launched Android version.

As well as delivering a game that is both appealing to players and straightforward to play, Camelot has designed Set For Life to offer National Lottery players something completely new. Players will pick five main numbers from 1 to 47, and one ‘Life Ball’ from 1 to 10, and have the chance to win fixed prizes ranging from the top prize of £10,000 a month for 30 years to £5 for matching just two main numbers.

Announcing the new game, Camelot CEO Nigel Railton said: “We’re really pleased to be enhancing our range of National Lottery draw-based games with the introduction of Set For Life.

Annuity games really appeal to a growing number of people who like the idea of winning a prize paid out in regular instalments over the long term, and are very successful in other countries.

We think that Set For Life will be just as popular here in the UK – it will offer National Lottery players something completely new and meet a different set of consumer needs, especially among younger people.

“Most importantly, it rounds off what is now a more appealing and balanced portfolio of games that offers something for everyone – one of the key aims following our wide-ranging strategic review.

We’ve now got a mix of compelling draw-based games that suits all tastes, play styles and pockets.

That’s vital for The National Lottery’s long-term health – and will help to ensure that, in the years to come, we continue to deliver even more for our players and the millions of people for whom National Lottery funding is so crucial.”

Camelot has created a dedicated page on The National Lottery website at www.national-lottery.co.uk/set-for-life that sets out everything people need to know about how Set For Life will work and the amazing prizes they could win.

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It will also be raising awareness of the new game in the coming weeks in a number of other ways – including through advertising, in-store signs, posters and marketing materials.

Set For Life launches as The National Lottery enters its 25th birthday year. Following further increases in sales and returns to Good Causes over the first half of 2018/19, The National Lottery has raised over £39 billion for Good Causes since launch – far more than the original Government forecast of £1 billion per year.

National Lottery funding has now been awarded to more than 535,000 individual projects – an average of 190 lottery grants in every UK postcode district – helping to transform lives and communities across the nation. Over the same period, The National Lottery has awarded over £69 billion in prize money and created more than 5,100 millionaires or multi-millionaires.

To thank National Lottery players for making these achievements possible and to celebrate the massive difference that The National Lottery has made – and continues to make – to the lives of people and communities throughout the whole of the UK, Camelot is working closely with other members of The National Lottery family on a range of plans in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the very first draw on 19 November 1994.

Further details will be announced in due course.

*  Subject to final regulatory approval.

** Match 5 + 1 and match 5 + 0 prizes are subject to capping in very rare circumstances. More details about prize capping will be included in the Set For Life Game Procedures.

For further information, please CONTACT: Camelot Press Office: 020 7632 5711.

SOURCE: Camelot UK Lotteries Limited.

Two Out of Three Swedes Played for Money in 2018: Annual Survey

STRÄNGNÄS, Sweden (January 11, 2019) -- Spelinspektionen's annual survey* of Swedes' gambling habits, conducted in cooperation with Novus, shows that two out of three Swedes (66%) have played money over the past year, but the long-term trend points to a decreasing proportion of players.

For example, the corresponding figure in the 2013 survey was 76 percent. Just over every two players state that they play at least once a month or more often.

Despite an increasing number of players offering games on the internet and increased competition, many still play at Swedish games on the internet. Svenska Spel's online games have increased by 8 percentage points, almost 60 per cent say they play with them.

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It is the sixth consecutive year that the Gaming Inspectorate commissioned Novus to carry out the survey aimed at people who have been playing for money the past year.

Some other results in the 2018 survey:

• 82 percent think it is good that the gaming companies are obliged to counteract problems with excessive gambling, but close to one in three do not think the gaming companies take their responsibility for gambling addiction.
• Almost 60 percent of everyone puts a game budget if possible, which is an increase compared to the previous survey.
• 48 per cent experience the gaming market as entertaining, but only 12 per cent perceive the gaming market as sound.
• Three percent state that at some point in the past twelve months they have experienced that they have played too much.
• Seven percent state that they have any close relatives that they have experienced playing too much. In the age group 18-29 years, 14 percent indicate that they have a close relative who plays too much.

 Take a look at the survey "The general public about games", click here!

* The survey The public on games 2018 was made before the re-regulation of the Swedish gaming market on January 1, 2019.

SOURCE: Spelinspektionen press release.

The Gold Rush Is Back With Four New Scratch-Off Games From The Florida Lottery

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (January 14, 2019) -- Following the success of the newest $20 Scratch-Off game, $5,000,000 GOLD RUSH CLASSIC, today the Florida Lottery introduced the GOLD RUSH CLASSIC family of Scratch-Off games. The four new games range in price from $1 to $10, and feature more than $1.4 billion in cash prizes and more than 65 million winning tickets! All Lottery retailers are expected to have these new tickets in stock and available for purchase within 72 hours.

• The $10 game, $2,000,000 GOLD RUSH CLASSIC, offers more than $246.8 million in prizes, including ten top prizes of $2 million! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.49.
• The $5 game, $1,000,000 GOLD RUSH CLASSIC, offers more than $200.5 million in prizes, including 32 top prizes of $1 million! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.97.
• The $2 game, $50,000 GOLD RUSH CLASSIC, has more than $89.5 million in total cash prizes, including 72 top prizes of $50,000! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.69.
• The $1 game, $10,000 GOLD RUSH CLASSIC, offers more than $24.6 million in total cash prizes, including 100 top prizes of $10,000! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.88.

Six drawings will be held between January 30 and April 10, 2019, for non-winning GOLD RUSH CLASSIC tickets entered into the “Gold Rush Classic” Second Chance Promotion.

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In each of the six drawings, one player will win $30,000, two players will win $10,000, four players will win $5,000, and 30 players will win $1,000.

For more information about these games and the second chance promotion, visit www.flalottery.com.

Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery's portfolio of games, comprising approximately 69 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $871 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2017-18.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $34 billion to education and sending more than 808,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

The Florida Lottery reinvests 97 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 $61.2 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: Florida Lottery (www.flalottery.com).

The Gaming Authority Intends to Give Extra Attention to Gambling Providers Offering Sports Betting to Minors During the World Cup

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (June 11, 2018) -- De Kansspelautoriteit (The Gaming Authority) will pay special attention before and during the World Cup to the online offering of sports betting, and especially to participation by minors.

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The regulator on the gaming market calls for participation by minors in sports betting to be reported via a special notification form on its website.

Participation in games of chance, such as taking bets on sports competitions, is permitted from the age of 18. Providers of games of chance are obliged to keep minors from participating.

In the Netherlands, only the Toto, part of the Dutch Lottery, can offer bets on the results of sports competitions.

The Law on games of chance states that one license is issued for this. All other providers of (online) sports betting may not offer games of chance to Dutch consumers.

They are obliged to ensure that the Netherlands cannot participate. They can do this, for example, by applying geo-blocking: it is not possible to participate with Dutch IP addresses.

No control possible

The Gaming Authority acts against illegal gambling providers because there is no control on the fairness of the game, the detection of gambling addiction and the participation of vulnerable groups, such as minors.

Additional reasons to act against illegal gambling providers are specific focus on Dutch consumers (for example by using the Dutch language) and having young people participate.

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Betting on the results of sports competitions is popular and is growing fast. The Market Game 2016 of the Gaming Authority shows that the market for legal sports betting in the Netherlands grew by 34 percent in 2016 compared to 2015. It is generally known that extra bets are made during major sports tournaments, such as the upcoming Football World Cup.

Even if the Dutch national team does not participate, that is the case. In the sports betting sector, football is by far the most popular sport to bet on.

Notifications

The Gaming Authority announced earlier this year in its Monitoring Agenda that preventing minors from participating in games of chance is an important priority. Young people form a vulnerable group; gambling providers must make every effort to prevent minors from participating.

The Gaming Authority would like to hear from parents, teachers, friends or other people involved whether they take part in sports betting by minors. Minors can also make a report themselves. Notifications can be made via the Minors Reporting Form.

The information is not used to fine minors for their participation. The information is only used for dealing with illegal providers.

SOURCE: De Kansspelautoriteit.

Camelot Illinois Named to Built In Chicago’s 2019 Best Places to Work Awards

Camelot recognized as the sixth-best small place to work in Chicago, 16th-best place to work in Chicago

CHICAGO, Illinois (January 10, 2019) -- Camelot Illinois was ranked the sixth-best small place to work in the city of Chicago on Built In Chicago’s 2019 Best Places to Work List.

Camelot was also ranked 16 on a list of the 100 best companies to work at in Chicago.

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Camelot Illinois is the new private manager of the Illinois Lottery, working in partnership with the State of Illinois to operate a modern lottery that truly benefits the people of Illinois.

The company began its tenure as the Lottery’s private manager on January 2, 2018.

“Camelot Illinois is proud to be recognized by Built in Chicago as a best place to work. As a company, we believe in delivering on our promises — especially to our employees. We strive to honor their dedication and innovation with fair compensation and an environment where they can excel,” said Colin Hadden, General Manager of Camelot Illinois.

Built In Chicago ranks companies based on employer self-identified compensation and benefits information. Compensation is based at the median percentile for salaries entered for a company relative to the median salaries for the same positions at other companies in the Built In Chicago database. Benefits are defined by the offerings most important to Built In Chicago users, and then points are assigned to each benefit and perk.

About Camelot Illinois

Camelot Illinois is the new private manager of the Illinois Lottery. In partnership with the state, Camelot operates a modern lottery that truly benefits the people of Illinois.

Camelot is dedicated to working with transparency, integrity and responsibility to grow the lottery and reinforce its rightful position as a force for good.

The company’s innovative approach places consumers and social responsibility at its core, providing funding for schools, capital projects and special causes.

CONTACT: Leslie Wertheimer, T: 312-550-0695, E: leslie.wertheimer@camelotillinois.com.

SOURCE: Camelot Illinois press release.

10,000 Swedes' Have Joined Gambling Self-Exclusion Scheme

STRÄNGNÄS, Sweden (January 9, 2019) -- When the new game law came into force at the end of the year, the Gaming Inspectorate simultaneously launched Spelpaus.se, a central self-shutdown register. This means that everyone who wants to have the opportunity to switch off games from all gaming companies that hold a Swedish license in one place.

Most of them turn off until further notice

One week after the launch, the authority can confirm that 10,000 people have registered at Spelpaus.se. The vast majority have chosen to shut down until further notice, but there is the possibility of turning off for a shorter limited period.

“Game abuse is a widespread social problem, so it is positive that so many find the new service and use it as a tool to refrain from gaming and avoid targeted advertising from the gaming companies,” says Spelinspektionen's communications manager Anders Sims.

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There are several reasons for the large influx to Spelpaus.se, for example, affecting the involvement of people who are open with their gambling addiction.

“We can see, not least in social media, that these people welcome Spelpaus.se and push on for those who have problems or are in the risk zone to block themselves from games.”

Some deficiencies in the control

A requirement for the gaming companies in the Swedish market to use their license is that they are connected to Spelpaus.se. All companies must check against the registry before allowing their customers to play.

During the first week, the authority has unfortunately discovered shortcomings in this area. It is about license holders who do not have an active connection to Spelpaus.se, which means that suspended players have been able to play with these companies.

“We have in the last few days investigated what this is due to and have found that everything seems to work well with the Gaming Inspectorate. But for some reason there are a handful of gaming companies that do not meet the requirements set by the law,” says Anders Sims.

Spelinspektionen will send a letter to the companies concerned where they are urged to quickly submit an explanation of why closed customers have been able to play with them. The authority also points out that the deficiencies are to be considered serious and that measures will be taken if the problem is not resolved shortly.

Facts Spelpaus.se

Spelpaus.se is a central self-shutdown register where you can turn off money from games. With that you also get no direct marketing about games. The suspension applies to all licensed gaming companies in Sweden with registered gaming.

These games are covered by your suspension: online casino, betting, Vegas vending machines, computer simulated slot games, bingo and online lotteries, and Casino Cosmopol, betting and betting / betting and trotting.

It can be switched off in 1, 3 and 6 months or until further notice.

For more information CONTACT:

SOURCE: Spelinspektionen press release.