AGE Continues to Grow

SYDNEY (August 15, 2019) -- Over 3,100 key industry executives from the Gaming and Hospitality Industry gathered for the first day of the 30th Australasian Gaming Expo at the ICC Sydney at Darling Harbour.

Milestones were again set this year with registrations already up by 3% over last year and the trend continues with the first day’s visitor attendance increasing by 3% over the previous year’s attendance. 

What they came to see was the world’s best and latest gaming and hospitality equipment – and that’s exactly what they got. This year we saw exciting new displays from Brintons, Jem and show newcomer, The Christmas Tree Company.

The first day’s seminar program was also in hot demand with all sessions full and several of them standing room only.

The event owner and operator, the Gaming Technologies Association, added to the fun by offering a trip for 2 to Las Vegas, one for each day of the event.  Day-1 winner was Robyn Withers from Wauchope RSL.

At the conclusion of the first day the Association celebrated 30 years with a cocktail party and special presentations to exhibitors who have been with the AGE since 1990. We would like to again thank these exhibitors for their past and ongoing support and acknowledge them here; Allpride Signs & Marketing, Aristocrat Technologies Australia, Aruze Gaming, Brintons Carpets, BSG Australia, Global Gaming Industries, IGT, Jensen Data Systems, Paynter Dixon, Plantscaping Solutions, Scientific Games, SICO South Pacific, Sprintquip, Technoprom and VFJ Currency Equipment.

The exhibition concludes this Thursday 15 August at 3pm and visitors can register at the event. For further information call the Gaming Expo Help Line on 02 9211 7430 or visit: www.austgamingexpo.com.

NOTE: The Australasian Gaming Expo is a trade exhibition, for management representatives of Gaming Industry Organisations only including government, regulatory, research and support bodies, clubs, hotels, casinos, resorts and similar Hospitality Industry venues.  Trade suppliers are not eligible to attend the event unless exhibiting.

The Gaming Technologies Association’s primary members are Ainsworth Game Technology, Aristocrat Technologies, Aruze Gaming Australia,  IGT (Australia), Interblock Asia Pacific, Konami Australia, Scientific Games and Tabcorp.

For further information contact: info@gamingta.com.

SOURCE: Gaming Technologies Association Limited.

IGT to Provide Enhanced INTELLIGEN™ Central System to the Oregon Lottery

LONDON, U.K. (August 15, 2019) -- International Game Technology PLC (“IGT”) (NYSE: IGT), announced today that it will upgrade the Oregon Lottery’s central computer system with the latest version of IGT’s INTELLIGEN™ software. The INTELLIGEN central system supports the volume, complexity, and security of monitoring and controlling more than 11,500 video lottery terminals (“VLTs”) throughout Oregon.

“Our longstanding partnership with IGT has enabled us to operate our statewide video lottery system with the highest standards of integrity and security, and has helped us grow revenue to fund programs Oregonians care about including schools, parks, and  economic development,” said Barry Pack, Oregon State Lottery Director. “We look forward to collaborating with IGT on the INTELLIGEN upgrade, so we can continue to provide our players the chance to win exciting jackpots through a safe and reliable system.”

Advertisement

“Through the upgrade of IGT INTELLIGEN, the Oregon Lottery will gain access to industry-leading technology that can help drive revenue and position the Lottery to deploy future functionality,” said Jay Gendron, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Lottery. “The Oregon Lottery has one of North America’s most successful VLT programs, and IGT has been providing it with innovative technology for more than three decades. We are confident that the Lottery will benefit from these enhancements through improved system performance and the ability to manage its network more efficiently.”

INTELLIGEN systems are deployed worldwide connecting a wide range of VLTs in a variety of gaming environments. The software is built on more than 20 years of central system experience and offers stable, secure command and control capabilities. It supports the Gaming Standards Association’s Game to System® (G2S) standard protocol, which enables an enhanced player user interface, improved responsible gaming features, and additional player-centric functionality.

The Oregon Lottery has been an IGT customer since 1985. In addition to VLTs and the INTELLIGEN central system, IGT also provides the Oregon Lottery with traditional draw-based lottery products and instant ticket games and services.

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.

CONTACTS:

SOURCE: IGT.

Illinois Lottery Launches Online Features To Make Playing More Convenient

Pick 3, Pick 4 and Lucky Day Lotto Single-Draw Tickets Now for Sale Online;

New Instant Ticket Scanning Feature Now Available on Mobile App

CHICAGO, IL (August 15, 2019) -- The Illinois Lottery today announced two new features that make digital and mobile play more convenient for players.

First, single-draw tickets for Pick 3, Pick 4 and Lucky Day Lotto are now available for purchase on the Lottery’s website and mobile app. Previously, Pick 3, Pick 4 and Lucky Day Lotto players were only able to purchase a minimum of one week’s worth of these Lottery game tickets online via a subscription.

Advertisement

The ability to sell Pick 3, Pick 4 and Lucky Day Lotto single-draw tickets online was made possible by a change in state law. Passed by the General Assembly in the spring, House Bill 3661 allowed for the Illinois Lottery to offer all of its draw games online as single-draw tickets. Before the change, only Mega Millions, Powerball and Lotto could be sold for single-game draws. Governor JB Pritzker signed the measure on June 28. Subscriptions for all games are still available for purchase online.

“Pick 3, Pick 4 and Lucky Day Lotto have long been some of the Lottery’s most popular games,” Illinois Lottery Acting Director Harold Mays said. “Allowing single-game internet sales, rather than subscription-only sales, for Pick 3, Pick 4 and Lucky Day Lotto levels the playing field for all our draw games online, and, hopefully, will attract new players to the Lottery because of the convenience and the avoidance of a subscription commitment.”

The second player-convenience feature now available is the ability to scan instant tickets on the Illinois Lottery mobile app to determine whether the ticket is a winner. The mobile app already included the ability to scan draw-game tickets purchased in retail.

Since the launch of the Illinois Lottery’s new digital platform and mobile app in February, players have executed more than 1.5 million ticket scans through the mobile app.

The mobile app is available for iOS and Android users. The iOS app can be found in the Apple App Store, and Android users can download the app from the Illinois Lottery’s website.

About the Illinois Lottery:

Founded in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has contributed over $20 billion (since 1985) to the state’s Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to the Capital Projects Fund and to special causes like Illinois Veterans services, the fight against breast cancer, MS research, Special Olympics and assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to playing in-store, the Illinois Lottery offers online and mobile play for all draw-based Illinois Lottery games at illinoislottery.com. Players must be at least 18 years old.

Source: Illinois Lottery.

Idaho Lottery Becomes a GUINNESS WORLD Title Holder During 30th Anniversary Celebration

BOISE, Idaho (August 14, 2019) -- The Idaho Lottery is now the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title holder for the Largest gathering of people scratching scratch cards.  A total of 479 people scratched their official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt Cards during the Idaho Lottery’s 30th Anniversary celebration at 6:05 pm on July 19, 2019, to break the previous GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title.

The Idaho Lottery was notified by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS on August 13, 2019 of their successful attempt.

Idaho is the first Lottery in the world to offer an Official Attempt Scratch Game.

The game went on sale to the public on June 17, 2019 and was used exclusively during the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt.  Idaho also becomes the first Lottery to hold this GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title.

“We are proud of our GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title and are humbled by the 479 participants who took time to join us for our 30th Anniversary celebration and make it possible,” said Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director.  “We set the bar for this record very high and we hope that it stands for a long time. This record is not just for the Lottery, but all Idahoans who have supported the Lottery and our good causes for thirty years. Thank you everyone.”

The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title certificate is on display at the Idaho Lottery.   The Idaho Lottery broke the previous record of 386 participants that was set just two days before their own attempt on July 17, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

ABOUT THE IDAHO LOTTERY

The Idaho Lottery responsibly provides a variety of entertaining games featuring Powerball, Mega Millions, Scratch GamesTM, and PullTabs with a high degree of integrity to maximize the dividend for Idaho public schools and the permanent building fund. Since their inception in 1989, the Idaho Lottery has sold over $3.9 billion in products, awarded more than $2.4 billion in prizes to players, returned $232.6 million in retail commissions, and distributed $906 million in Lottery dividends to Idaho public schools and the Permanent Building Fund. To learn more, please visit www.idaholottery.com.

CONTACT: David Workman, Idaho Lottery, Public Information Specialist.

SOURCE: The Idaho Lottery.

Beat The Summer Heat With Four New Scratch-Off Games From The Florida Lottery

Featuring top prizes of $3,000 to $500,000!

Florida (August 12, 2019) -- The Florida Lottery introduced four new Scratch-Off games today that offer more than $152 million in total cash prizes. The games, $500,000 SPECTACULAR, MULTIPLIER CROSSWORD, TRIPLE 777, and EMERALD 8’S, range in price from $1 to $5. All Lottery retailers are expected to have these new tickets in stock and available for purchase within 72 hours.

The $5 game, $500,000 SPECTACULAR, offers more than $48.7 million in cash prizes, including six top prizes of $500,000! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.03.

The $3 game, MULTIPLIER CROSSWORD, offers more than $65.3 million in cash prizes, including 20 top prizes of $50,000! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.13.

Advertisement

The $2 game, TRIPLE 777, features 16 top prizes of $30,000 and more than $28 million in cash prizes! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.18.

For just $1, players can win up to $3,000 with EMERALD 8’S. This game features over 3.5 million winning tickets totaling more than $11 million in cash prizes! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.94.

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 $35 billion to education and sending more than 808,000 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 $65 billion in prizes and made more than 2,500 people millionaires.

For more information, please visit: www.flalottery.com.

CONTACT:  Florida Lottery Communications, T: (850) 487-7727.

SOURCE: Florida Lottery (www.flalottery.com).

Pollard Banknote Adds Superstar-Studded WWE® To Its Licensed Brand Portfolio

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, (August 14, 2019) -- Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) (“Pollard Banknote”), a leading lottery partner that provides high-performing instant tickets, interactive solutions, and marketing support, is pleased to announce the recent addition of WWE to its portfolio of licensed brands. With a broad audience appeal containing a diverse fan-base spanning multiple generations, WWE is a natural fit for lottery partnership.

WWE offers incredible creative design and promotional opportunities sure to delight lottery players. A wide range of Superstars and highly-recognizable brand iconography offer nearly limitless possibilities for ticket art that will capture attention at retail.

Advertisement

Lotteries can also take advantage of the more than 500 live events per year hosted by WWE to create spectacular experiential prizes, featuring travel to events, ringside seating and Superstar meet-and-greets.

More than 175 licensees, including apparel, home goods, and video game providers, afford ample merchandizing and prize opportunities for social media contests and second chance drawings.

Pollard Banknote’s Licensed Products team offers a full turnkey program that includes the ticket design, printing, merchandising and prizes, digital engagement, and promotional options.

“The inspirational and entertaining nature of WWE is the perfect pairing for the lottery industry, offering diverse ticket art and enticing promotional opportunities sure to attract and engage players,” said Brad Thompson, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Pollard Banknote.

“WWE brings a loyal fanbase and we are excited to offer fun and innovative instant tickets featuring the brands’ Superstars.”

About WWE®

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment.

The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience.

WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG, family-friendly programming can be seen in more than 800 million homes worldwide in 28 languages.

WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries.

The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo. econd chance drawings. Pollard Banknote’s Licensed Products team offers a full turnkey program that includes the ticket design, printing, merchandising and prizes, digital engagement, and promotional options.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

About Pollard Banknote

Pollard Banknote is a leading lottery partner to more than 60 lotteries worldwide, providing high quality instant ticket products, licensed games, Schafer Systems retail merchandising solutions, and a full suite of digital offerings, ranging from game apps to comprehensive player engagement and iLottery solutions, including strategic marketing and management services. The company is a proven innovator and has decades of experience helping lotteries to maximize player engagement, sales, and proceeds for good causes. Pollard Banknote also provides pull-tab tickets, bingo paper, and its Diamond Game and Oasis-branded electronic ticket machines to charitable and other gaming markets in North America. Established in 1907, Pollard Banknote is owned approximately 67.5% by the Pollard family and 32.5% by public shareholders, and is publicly traded on the TSX (PBL). For more information, please visit our website at www.pollardbanknote.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:  Brad Thompson Pollard Banknote Limited Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Telephone: (204) 474-2323 E-mail: bthompson@pbl.ca

SOURCE: Pollard Banknote.

Mississippi Lottery Corporation Joins Multi-State Lottery Association

URBANDALE, Iowa (August 5, 2019) --The Board of Directors of the Multi-State Lottery Association approved the Mississippi Lottery Corporation’s request for membership. The addition of the Mississippi Lottery Corporation brings membership in the Association to 38 U.S. lotteries.

“The Multi-State Lottery Association is pleased to welcome Mississippi as our newest member and we are all proud to see MUSL continuing to grow, now representing 38 member lotteries across the country,” said Charlie McIntyre, MUSL Board President and executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery.

Advertisement

“Mississippi will undoubtably be a vital member of the team and we look forward to working with Mississippi, and all member lotteries, to continue to drive profits in support of important causes across the country.”

The Mississippi Lottery Corporation anticipates sales for Powerball® and Mega Millions to begin in February or March 2020. As the president of a member lottery, Mississippi Lottery Corporation President Thomas N. Shaheen will join the MUSL Board of Directors and the Powerball Product Group as a voting member when sales commence.

“The Mississippi Lottery Corporation is thrilled to be joining the Multi-State Lottery Association allowing us to offer Powerball and Mega Millions as part of our game portfolio,” Shaheen said.

“The excitement is extremely high for both of these games in Mississippi. We receive calls every day wanting to know when Powerball and Mega Millions will go on sale.”

The Multi-State Lottery Association is a non-profit, government benefit, voluntary association that is entirely owned and operated by its member lotteries.

Each MUSL member lottery offers one or more multi-jurisdictional lottery games administered with the assistance of MUSL.

All profits are retained by the individual lotteries and are used to fund projects or purposes approved by their authorizing legislatures

Among the services offered to member and licensee lotteries, MUSL conducts drawings; performs game development and research; provides central accounting, including multijurisdictional prize funds holding and transfers; and purchases government securities and annuities to fund prize payments.

CONTACTS:

SOURCE: Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL).

Kansas Lottery Transfers $173.6 Million to the State of Kansas in Fiscal Year 2019

KANSAS (August 9, 2019) -- The Kansas Lottery is pleased to announce it transferred more revenue to the State of Kansas in Fiscal Year 2019 than in Fiscal Year 2018.

The combined transfer from the traditional lottery and state-owned and operated casino gaming revenue totaled $173.6 million.

The total revenue transferred to the State through traditional lottery game sales was $74.9 million. Revenue transferred from state-owned and operated casino gaming totaled $98.7 million. Kansas Lottery retailers saw record commissions in FY19 of $17.3 million.

Traditional lottery sales in Fiscal Year 2019 were $295.3 million. Lottery sales were 9.79 percent higher than in FY18 when sales were $268.9 million.

Advertisement

“It’s the Kansas Lottery’s mission to engage our players in a fun and secure way while also doing our best to try and maximize a return to the State,” said Kansas Lottery Executive Director Stephen Durrell. “We do that by looking at ways to keep our players interested and excited about our games. The Lottery is continuing to add new games and second-chance promotions that offer unique experiences, and we thank all of our players and retailers for their continued support.”

A portion of proceeds from traditional lottery sales was dedicated to paying for the 272 Lottery vending machines being rolled out to select retailers across the state. The Kansas Lottery avoided interest and financing costs by paying for the vending machines from operating funds.

“Our vending machine roll-out has been methodical as we try to look for the best retailers to maximize the effectiveness of the machines,” Durrell said. “We look forward to the opportunity for increasing our sales and transfer to the state through vending machine sales. Vending machines offer easier access for our players to find their favorite games and takes the burden off our retailers during times of high retail sales.”

The Kansas Lottery also transferred a combined $8.3 million to the Problem Gambling and Addictions Grant Fund. The transfer included $80,000 from traditional lottery games and $8.22 million from state-owned and operated casino gaming, as required by state law.

“The Kansas Lottery values its relationship with the four managers the State contracted with to manage these casinos,” Durrell continued. “The casinos generate millions of dollars for the state and helps the Lottery accomplish its mission by maximizing the State’s revenue."

CONTACT: Courtney Ryan, Phone: (785) 296-5708.

SOURCE: The Kansas Lottery.

The Florida Lottery Invites Players to Cash in on The Countdown to 2020

Enter the Limited-Time POWERBALL® New Year's Eve Promotion Now!

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (August 2019) - - The Florida Lottery announces the launch of the new POWERBALL® New Year's Eve Promotion.

Advertisement

All Florida POWERBALL and POWERBALL with Power Play® tickets purchased August 1 through August 31, 2019, can be entered into the promotion for the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime VIP trip to New York City to ring in 2020! But that's not all - winners also have the opportunity to become the First POWERBALL Millionaire of the Year!

Players can enter their tickets by scanning the barcode using the Florida Lottery Collect 'N Win App or by entering the ticket number on the Lottery's website at www.flalottery.com/nyre.

Each ticket will randomly generate 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 symbols. When four symbols have been collected on a game card, the player will earn an entry into the drawing.

One drawing will be held at the conclusion of the promotion period for all entries received, and 50 Florida winners will each receive a four-day VIP experience to New York City.

Winners will also have the chance to win $1 million in a random drawing occurring just after midnight on January 1, 2020, during the live broadcast of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest!

The First Powerball Millionaire of the year will be selected from approximately 300 POWERBALL New Year's Eve Promotion winners from across the country.

The once-in-a-lifetime four-day VIP experience includes round-trip airline transportation for two; three nights' hotel accommodations; two tickets to the "Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes" at Radio City Music Hall; two tickets for a holiday dinner cruise on the Hudson River; two tickets to an exclusive New Year's Eve dinner party, with a view of the ball drop; $250 in spending money; and ground transportation to and from airports, hotel, and activities while in New York City.

To learn more about this promotion, or any Florida Lottery games, please visit www.flalottery.com.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $35 billion to education and sending more than 808,000 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 transfers to education.

Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $65 billion in prizes and made more than 2,500 people millionaires.

For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com

Win a VIP Trip of a Lifetime!

Maryland Lottery, Casinos Establish New Records in 2019

BALTIMORE, MD (August 9, 2019) -- The continued growth of the Maryland Lottery and the state’s six casinos combined to contribute a record-breaking total of $1.311 billion to the state in Fiscal Year 2019. Together, the Maryland Lottery and casinos support a wide variety of causes, including education, public health and safety, the environment, veterans’ organizations, and the state’s horse racing industry.

The Maryland Lottery set a new all-time sales record, which, in turn, drove a record-setting mark of $593.1 million in profit to the state. In addition, all-time records were established for prizes to players, retailer commissions and instant ticket (scratch-off) sales.

Casino gaming revenue contributed a record $717.5 million to the state, including an all-time high of $542.7 million to the Maryland Education Trust Fund.

Advertisement

The combined total of $1.311 billion in state contributions is a 4.7% increase from the previous record of $1.252 billion in Fiscal Year 2018. Meanwhile, the Agency’s operating expenses remained low at 3.5% of sales on the Lottery side, and 1.0% of total gaming revenues for the casino program.

The Lottery’s sales for FY2019 (July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019) totaled $2.197 billion, beating last year’s record of $2.043 billion by 7.5%. The state’s casinos also set a new record of $1.760 billion in gaming revenue.

“We’re pleased to be able to report on new records, but equally, we’re proud to serve as a vital source of revenue for the state,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director Gordon Medenica. “We are extremely grateful for the efforts of our employees, our retailers, our vendors and our casino partners. The hard work continues as we move forward into a new year.”

Governor Larry Hogan congratulated Maryland Lottery and Gaming for its strong fiscal-year performance.

“The $1.3 billion generated by the casinos and the Lottery provides funding for essential state programs that our citizens rely on every day,” said Governor Hogan. “Education is our top priority, and with the passage of the lockbox amendment last year, our students and classrooms will benefit from a contribution of nearly $543 million to the Education Trust Fund.”

The Lottery’s $2.197 billion in sales fueled an all-time record of $1.362 billion in prizes paid to players, a 9.3% increase from the previous record of $1.247 billion in prizes during FY2018. The Lottery paid an average of more than $3.7 million a day in prizes to players during FY2019.

Retailers earned an all-time high of $165.5 million from sales and cashing commissions, a 7.7% increase from the previous record of $153.7 million set in FY2018. On average, Lottery retailers earned nearly $37,000 in commissions. The Lottery has 4,500 retail locations across the state.

For the fifth consecutive year, sales of instant tickets set an all-time record, totaling $812.4 million, an 8.2% increase from the previous high of $750.9 million set in FY2018.

Advertisement

Fueled by a record $1.537 billion jackpot in October of 2018, sales of Mega Millions set a record of $137.7 million. The total was a 6.4% increase from the previous mark of $129.4 million in FY2008 and a 55.4% increase from the FY2018 total of $88.6 million.

The Lottery’s most popular draw game, Pick 4, set an all-time sales record of $312.2 million, a 5.4% increase from the $296.2 million figure established in FY2018. Racetrax, a computer-animated horse racing simulation game, also set an all-time sales record of $211.2 million, increasing 9.7% from the previous mark of $192.6 million set in FY2018.

Casino Gaming

Total gaming revenue at Maryland’s six casinos in FY2019 was $1.760 billion, beating last year’s figure by $81.4 million (4.9%).

The all-time record contribution to the Education Trust Fund (ETF) of $542.7 million was an increase of $46.0 million (9.3%) from FY2018. The ETF supports early childhood education, public elementary and secondary education, public school construction and capital improvement projects. Since the state’s first casino opened in 2010, more than $3.0 billion has been contributed to the ETF.

FY2019 casino revenue was also contributed to the following beneficiaries:

• Local aid: $92.8 million, divided between local impact grants and local jurisdictions.
• Maryland’s horse racing industry: $76.6 million, divided between the Racetrack Facility Renewal and Horse Racing Purse Dedication accounts.
• Responsible gaming programs: $5.3 million.

More than 7,400 people work at the state’s six casinos, including more than 6,200 full-time employees.

SOURCE: The Maryland Lottery.

Government to Increase Sales and Prize Draw Limits for Big Society Lotteries

LONDON, U.K. (August 7, 2019) -- The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have published its response to the consultation on society lottery reform which ran from June to September last year.

The response announced the following changes to big society lotteries:

Advertisement

• The annual sales limit to be raised from £10m to £50m
• The maximum prize draw per individual to be raised from £400,000 to £500,000
• The individual per-draw sales limit to be raised from £4m to £5m

The response did not give an intended date for introducing these changes and did not introduce any changes for small society lotteries.

The consultation considered raising the annual sales limit to £100m but the government concluded that this was too big a step for the current regulatory framework.

Instead, the response proposed a future consultation on an increase to £100m including changes to regulatory requirements which would allow lotteries to apply for a £50m or £100m licence.

A future consultation by the Gambling Commission may also cover licensing, the use of lottery proceeds and which good causes benefit from society lotteries.

The government also plans to consult on raising the minimum age for participating in certain lotteries from 16 to 18 years to establish a clear position on the minimum age ahead of the bidding process for the fourth National Lottery licence which will launch next year.

SOURCE: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.

Relax Gaming Partners with ReelPlay

Powered By partner to distribute its products via the Relax Gaming platform

MALTA (August 12, 2019) -- Relax Gaming, the new-breed games and platform supplier, has bolstered its platform content with the integration of ReelPlay titles.

The provider’s exciting, high-quality games, including Dragon 50,000 and Hypernova Megaways™, will soon be available across Relax Gaming’s distribution network as part of the Powered By partnership programme.

Classified Advertisement

Sydney-based ReelPlay, formerly known as Chance Interactive, was established in 2014 by experienced gaming professionals with a record of making fresh, fun and engaging slots games.

The company’s most recent release Buster Hammer Carnival continues to permeate the regulated online space.

Simon Hammon, Relax Gaming CPO, said: “ReelPlay is an exciting proposition for Relax Gaming, not only providing content that is sure to be attractive to operators, but also offering a foundation of many years of experience.

“Relax will undoubtedly benefit from ReelPlay’s exciting new content together with the additional partners serviced through the partnership.”

ReelPlay Chief Commercial Officer David Johnson commented: “Growing our distribution network with flexible, scalable platform partners is a core priority for ReelPlay.

“This agreement with Relax more than fits the bill, giving us access to an effective and well-serviced distribution channel. I am sure our games will be a big hit with operators and players alike.”

Relax Gaming is rapidly emerging as a next generation supplier, boasting a catalogue of over 570 games whilst offering transparent fees and scalability for the hand-picked studios with which it works.

About Relax Gaming

Relax Gaming Group was founded in 2010 with the goal of simplifying B2B content delivery for the modern iGaming landscape. With transparency and collaboration central to its ethos, its recent and rapid expansion has been conceived in order to deliver unparalleled global reach.

Via a quick one-time integration, Relax Gaming now provides access to a roster of 280+ casino games and a diverse range of proprietary products, including Poker, Bingo and its recently launched slot portfolio. The high-quality aggregated content is provided through its selected Silver Bullet (commercially represented) and Powered By (commercially independent) partners.

Regulated markets are also at the heart of its growth strategy, with licenses held in multiple jurisdictions including: the Malta Gaming Authority, Alderney Gambling Control Commission, the UK Gambling Commission and the Danish Gambling Authority.

About REELPLAY

Founded in 2014 as Chance Interactive, the business re-branded to ReelPlay in 2019. ReelPlay create the highest quality digital gaming content for license to the world’s leading regulated casino operators.

ReelPlay also offer game build, math, marketing, integration and commercial expertise to partner studios looking to take their own content to the online market.

A privately held business based in sunny Sydney, Australia; the team was strengthened in 2018 by the arrival of experienced industry leaders Scott Smith CEO & David Johnson CCO. 

For more information, please visit: www.reel-play.com.

SOURCE: Relax Gaming press release.