WWE® Scratch & Win Ticket an Instant Champion in British Columbia

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (December 8, 2020) – Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) (“Pollard Banknote”), congratulates BCLC, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation on the success of its $2 WWE® Scratch & Win instant ticket. This is the inaugural launch of the WWE® brand since it was added to Pollard Banknote’s Licensed Games Portfolio in 2019.

Based on the first five weeks of sales, the WWE® Scratch & Win game has sold 13 per cent higher than the average of all other non-holiday $2 games launched since 2017, attesting to the widespread allure of the WWE® brand. A multi-scene game featuring both WWE® Legends and WWE® Superstars, the instant ticket swiftly appealed to enthusiasts from a broad and diverse audience, spanning multiple generations. Players can choose between a retro-themed ticket featuring “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, or a modern iconography sporting Triple H, John Cena, and Kofi Kingston. Whether players revere former WWE® Legends or present-day Superstars, there’s an instant ticket for every WWE® fan!

The $2 WWE® Scratch & Win game offers players a chance to win up to $20,000. For added awareness, BCLC ran a Facebook contest where players had the opportunity to win WWE®-branded merchandise, including Deluxe WWE® Championship Replica Title Belts. The promotion has resulted in a high social media engagement rate, validating the popularity of the brand.

“We are pleased with the initial launch and player excitement generated from our new WWE® instant ticket,” said Gladys Primeau, Category Manager, Instant Games, BCLC. “The brand’s popularity offers high entertainment value that inspires players’ interest and engagement. We look forward to continuing to explore innovative and fun new game themes and ideas to offer the best instant games to our players, to maximize our support of health care, education and community programs in British Columbia.”

“We are thrilled to congratulate BCLC on the success of its WWE® game, an engaging multi-scene instant ticket that leverages the appeal of a well-known brand with a passionate fan base,” said Brad Thompson, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Pollard Banknote. “We are excited to continue working with BCLC and help strengthen its instant-ticket portfolio with innovative lottery products supported by our comprehensive turnkey programs to further expand its player base, as we’ve been doing for over three decades.”

The Province of British Columbia founded BCLC 35 years ago with the purpose of giving back to the citizens of B.C. and helping communities grow. Since 1985, BCLC has delivered $25 billion in net income to support communities, provincial programs and services, charities and major events that have helped shape B.C.

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 and Fastrak retail merchandising solutions, and a full suite of digital offerings, ranging from world-class mkodo 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, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Telephone: (204) 474-2323, E-mail: bthompson@pbl.ca.

SOURCE: Pollard Banknote Limited.

Camelot Statement on the Government Announcement on The National Lottery Age of Play

UNITED KINGDOM (December 8, 2020)

A Camelot spokesperson said:

Advertisement

“We’ve said all along that we would fully support any decision made by the government to raise the minimum age to play. Now that a decision has been made to raise the age to 18 by October 2021, we’ll be doing everything we can to implement all of the changes that will be necessary as quickly as possible, while ensuring that we maintain the very high standards demanded of The National Lottery.

We’ve already started this work in preparation and, subject to receiving the appropriate licence variations and waivers from the Gambling Commission, we’re aiming to complete all of the changes that are needed in our online channels by early April 2021 and, in our retail channel, over the course of the summer – well in advance of the change in law.”

For background:

The National Lottery is a vast and complex operation, with a network of 44,000 independently owned retailers across the UK and more than 8.5 million active registered players, making it Europe’s largest online lottery in terms of sales.

With our operating licence requiring us to ensure that the minimum age to play appears on all physical materials, as well as in all online channels, the changeover will not happen overnight. This isn’t simply a case of sending new stickers to retailers or flicking an online switch.

In retail, for example, around 80 individual items need changing or removing – including fixed signage, permanent point of sale equipment, physical tickets and Scratchcards, and play slips.

And online, more than 50 separate areas need addressing – including Games Rules and Procedures, online Player Guides, app alerts and notifications, and automated emails.

On top of that, any COVID-19 restrictions will need to be taken into account to ensure that we implement the changes as safely and responsibly as possible.

SOURCE: Camelot.

Winners Announced from The First Holiday Bonus Play Promotion Drawing

The Holidays Came Early for 268 Lucky Florida Lottery Players!

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (December 8, 2020) – The Florida Lottery announces the winners from the first of two drawings in the Holiday Bonus Play Promotion. One top prize winner received $25,000!

Advertisement

Additionally, two second prize winners each received $10,000, five third prize winners each received $5,000, 10 fourth prize winners each received $2,500, and 250 fifth prize winners each received a $1,000 gift card for The Home Depot®.

One drawing remains in the Holiday Bonus Play Promotion, with winners announced on January 11, 2021. Players may continue to enter eligible holiday-themed Scratch-Off tickets and/or FLORIDA LOTTO® tickets into the Holiday Bonus Play Promotion. The Home Depot is not affiliated with this promotion.

Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 75 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $1 billion for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2019-20.

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s20)

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $38 billion to enhance education and sending more than 840,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

The Florida Lottery reinvests nearly 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 $71 billion in prizes and made nearly 3,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit: www.flalottery.com

SOURCE: Florida Lottery Communications.

Creating a French Technological Leader

PARIS, France (December 7, 2020) -- CARRUS consolidates its presence alongside horseracing betting operators and sees its services branching out into lottery and sports betting.

With many years’ experience in the industry, CARRUS is keen to continue an ambitious growth plan and target new, international markets.

By acquiring IDEMIA’s gaming terminal division, CARRUS is well placed to consolidate its presence among horseracing betting operators and expand operations to new lottery and sports betting operators.

With this acquisition, CARRUS can also strengthen its position as a major partner for leading industry players and innovative gaming operators. The acquisition also reflects the values shared by the two companies, which constantly strive to meet high standards of quality and security.

Developed within IDEMIA for more than 25 years, the gaming terminal division has demonstrated great technical and commercial success, laying the foundations on which they have built internationally acclaimed levels of expertise.

The new company – CARRUS GAMING – will incorporate IDEMIA’s current workforce specialising in gaming terminals, and will benefit from their valued experience covering IT, electronics, engineering, software development and sales. Production and after-sales services will also continue at the SaintÉtienne-du-Rouvray site in Normandy, capitalising on French know-how and expertise, without any disruption to employment.

Classified Advertisement

Finally, CARRUS is pleased to announce that BNP PARIBAS DEVELOPPEMENT has become a minority shareholder within the Group.

“This acquisition is a game changer for CARRUS, who with 132 years’ experience in the horse racing sector, continues to grow internationally and is branching into new areas of lottery and sports betting.

The newly formed division, CARRUS GAMING, strengthens the Group and opens up new perspectives.

In addition, we are delighted to welcome new gaming industry experts.”

Jérôme Carrus, Chairman, CARRUS

“The Carrus family’s vast experience is the guarantee of sustainability and success, and I am wholly convinced this will further cement relations with our existing customers, with whom we have forged longstanding partnerships. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our technical and commercial teams and I have every confidence in their ability to join the CARRUS Group, which already has a solid grounding in gaming solutions and systems.”

Philippe Barreau, Executive Vice-President in charge of Public Identity and Security, IDEMIA “By completing the acquisition of IDEMIA’s gaming terminal division, CARRUS, a family company with more than a 100 years’ experience, aligns seamlessly with BNP PARIBAS DEVELOPPEMENT’s capital investment policy, whose strategy from the outset has been to provide long term support to French, family companies (in capital and leadership), SMEs and mid-caps, to support them through key stages in their development” Thierry Nicol, Participations Director, BNP PARIBAS DEVELOPPEMENT

About Carrus

Parimutuel betting is inseparable from the history of Carrus Betting Solutions & Services. A system that leaves nothing to chance, it allows bettors and the world of horseracing to play to win. Since it was founded in 1888, Carrus has remained the undisputed champion of parimutuel betting, which is now firmly established around the world. Present in every racecourse across France, this family company now exports its knowledge and expertise across several continents. And with this unique expertise, Carrus plays an instrumental role in driving the momentum of the French horseracing sector, which remains at the vanguard of global horseracing.

Classified Advertisement

Carrus Solutions supports the horseracing sector developing technical equipment and solutions for parimutuel betting applications. 90 engineers and specialist betting technicians within its R&D division run the entire gamut of information technology, electronics and engineering. A dedicated innovation division, together with technology intelligence, ensure that systems are equipped with the very latest hardware and software advancements.

Carrus Services, privileged partner of horseracing companies, manages betting transactional systems in some 250 racecourses across Europe. Every day throughout France, and also in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Spain, Carrus teams ensure betting services run smoothly. Its experienced teams deliver a round-the-clock service, wholly committed to a company with a proven track record and longstanding knowledge and expertise. Experts in sales and logistics, technicians and engineers, work in tandem to enable a complex alchemy comprising transporting, installing and maintaining equipment, welcoming and serving bettors, promoting and driving betting and racecourses, collecting bets and calculating winnings in real-time.

For more information, visit www.groupecarrus.com.

Check out the latest updates on LinkedIn.

About IDEMIA

IDEMIA is the world leader in Augmented Identity, establishing a trusted environment in which citizens and consumers alike can carry out the most important everyday activities, such as pay, connect and travel, both in the real and digital world. Protecting our identity is now paramount in the world in which we live. By engaging in augmented identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust, but equally guarantees secure, authenticated and verifiable transactions, we can reinvent the way we think, produce, use and safeguard one of our most precious assets – our identity – wherever we may be and at all times where security matters. We provide this new Augmented Identity to international customers in the fields of finance, telecommunications, identity, public security and the Internet of Things. With more than 15,000 employees worldwide, IDEMIA serves its customers in more than 180 countries.

For more information, visit www.idemia.com.

And follow us on Twitter: @IDEMIAGroup

SOURCE: Groupe Carrus.

Hoosier Lottery is Making it Easy to Spread Holiday Joy; Introduces Cheer Challenge

INDIANAPOLIS (November 24, 2020) — This season of giving the Hoosier Lottery is bringing fun and exciting gift ideas with the theme “Holiday Memories Made from Scratch.”

Five new Holiday Scratch-offs, ranging from $1-to-$10 with chances to win prizes up to $100,000 instantly, are now available at retailers state-wide to individuals 18 and older.

“As Hoosiers we appreciate family time, celebrations and cherished memories. We are reminded this holiday season that some of the best memories are those made from scratch, and that inspired our new Holiday Scratch-offs,” said Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah M. Taylor.

“Sharing the gift of fun through holiday-themed Hoosier Lottery Scratch-offs has become quite a tradition with friends, family and co-workers.” Holiday Scratch-offs this season include:

• $1 Tis the Season;
• $2 Deck the Halls;
• $3 Candy Cane Crossword;
• $5 Merry Multiplier;
• $10 Holiday Cash Blowout.

Hoosier Lottery players have more chances to win with Cheer Challenge. By completing weekly challenges on the Hoosier Lottery app, players can earn entries into the Cheer Challenge drawing. Additionally, the $1 and $2 Holiday Scratch-offs provide players a 2nd Chance opportunity to win up to $500.

Responsible Gifting

The Hoosier Lottery reminds players to please gift responsibly by only giving Hoosier Lottery Scratch-offs to adults 18 years and older.

Season of Giving is Foundational to Hoosier Lottery

The season of giving is year-round for the Hoosier Lottery. Since the first Scratch-off was sold more than 30 years ago, Hoosier Lottery has given more than $6 billion back to the State of Indiana, including contributions to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund and local police and firefighters’ pensions.

These contributions are not possible without the support of players and retailers across the state.

Estimated Overall Odds

$1 Tis the Season 1 in 4.55; $2 Deck the Halls 1 in 4.29; $3 Candy Cane Crossword 1 in 3.99; $5 Merry Multiplier 1 in 3.75; and $10 Holiday Cash Blowout 1 in 9.86. 2nd Chance promotion odds are dependent upon the number of entries received.

Retailer and myLOTTERY App Details

Find your nearest Hoosier Lottery retailer here. Download the free Hoosier Lottery app here. Register for a free myLOTTERY account here.

SOURCE: Hoosier Lottery.

Pennsylvania Lottery Winners Claimed More Than $193 Million in Scratch-Off Prizes in November

MIDDLETOWN, PA (December 4, 2020) -- Pennsylvania Lottery Scratch-Off winners claimed $193,028,324 million in prizes during November, including three top prizes worth $1 million, claimed by players from Beaver, Chester and Snyder counties.

Congratulations to the three retailers who earned a $5,000 bonus for selling the $1 million-winning Scratch-Off tickets.

Across Pennsylvania, other big prizes claimed during November included:

Advertisement

• Five prizes of $500,000;
• One prize of $250,000;
• One prize of $150,000; and
• Eight prizes of $100,000.

The monthly winner list is posted in the Winners section of palottery.com. Not included on that list are the many Scratch-Off players who won prizes of less than $1,000.

Scratch-Off games currently offer prizes ranging from a free ticket to $3 million. Before playing any game, players should read and understand the rules, remaining prizes and specific chances of winning at palottery.com.

Check tickets promptly and immediately claim winnings. Prizes expire one year from a Scratch-Off game’s end-sale date, which is posted on palottery.com.

The overall chances of winning any prize, printed on the back of each ticket, is stated across all tickets produced in a game, not by consecutive tickets sold per pack. Random distribution ensures the Pennsylvania Lottery and retailers do not know where winning tickets will be sold.

About Us: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery to direct all proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since ticket sales began in 1972, it has contributed more than $31 billion to fund property tax and rent rebates, transportation, care services, prescription assistance, and local services including senior centers and meals.

Visit the Winners and Benefits pages at palottery.com to review how much money each county receives in Lottery prizes and funding to benefit older Pennsylvanians.

Players must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) for help with a compulsive gambling problem.

Visit palottery.com for winning numbers, rules, chances of winning, and to join the VIP Players Club to play online or enter for second chances to win. Install our Official App, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @PALottery. Use the hashtag #palottery to share your messages with us.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Lottery.

SportCaller Scales New Heights in Retention with The Ladder for Virgin Bet

Free-to-play specialist unveils ingenious new football game to improve fan engagement for rising-star operator

DUBLIN, Ireland (December 4, 2020 – SportCaller, the leading free-to-play (FTP) sports-game provider, has rolled out a cutting-edge game, The Ladder, to instant acclaim and spikes in fan engagement for UK operator, Virgin Bet.

The game is the latest in an ongoing partnership between the pair, which began with the launch of LiveScore6 in early 2020. The Ladder is a live-quiz product, tailored exclusively to Virgin Bet’s thriving Sports base, which asks customers to test the strength of their football general knowledge and compete over 10 questions for a wide range of easily-attainable free bets or prizes which are awarded at the start of any given weekend.

In order to collect, players must submit their answers within a 10-second timeframe, as a live countdown clock unwinds for each question. However, true to the quiz’s easy-trigger nature, players can enjoy a helping hand from a series of Power-Ups which offer them valuable lifelines as they progress through the game. These unique features include Go 50-50 (taking away two multiple-choice answers), Free Pass (the answer is automatically provided) and Extra Time (extending the time permitted to submit an answer).

Advertisement

Click here for the latest electronic version of Lottery Insights.

Incorrect participants slip down The Ladder for the day or week, while correct respondents are required to complete the full 10-question course to win their share of a big prize pool, or one of many other smaller free bets. The signature limited-time countdown, coupled to varied question-alternating functionality and a deep well of topical football data, guards against system-manipulation and improves the customer experience with its fun, intuitive gameplay.

SportCaller has also added live leaderboards, which update in real-time, allowing players to keep track of their performance and join in a daily battle for bragging rights against their friends or peers, thereby organically driving brand loyalty, repeat visits and core retention for Virgin Bet.

This innovative live-quiz product showcases SportCaller’s flexibility and capacity to deliver softer marketing functions with which to responsibly maintain player engagement and digital dwell-time. Accordingly, it constitutes another agile and timely component for the market-leading supplier’s progressive portfolio and marketing strategies for both leading operators and media partners.

Cillian Barry, MD at SportCaller, said: “We’re delighted to both extend and evolve our current collaboration with Virgin Bet by launching The Ladder. This general knowledge live-quiz format has proved particularly popular and versatile for operators and their players, not only during the lockdown but also as sports have returned. The pent-up passion among fans is palpable.

“Our array of games and mechanics now allow any client to offer a softer, and more accountable, means of keeping players engaged with their key products of interest. Indeed, this recent movement is part of a wider trend that’s very encouraging to witness – in that most of our games with Tier-1 operators in mature markets are aimed at securing retention in a sustainable and responsible way. It’s vital for our industry to promote consumer protection and education.”

Richard Leask, Marketing Director for Virgin Bet, added: “We’re thrilled at The Ladder’s immediate connection with our customers, as they pit their wits against each other on these rapid-fire tests of trivia. SportCaller’s live-quiz configurations are as engaging as they are simple to play, and this has quickly shone through in some impressive weekly repeat-visit rates for the game.

“SportCaller offer us flexible formats that responsibly sustain players’ attentions and allegiance, fostering long-term loyalty that comfortably outstrips those customers who have never enrolled in games like The Ladder.”

SportCaller has now launched almost 100 games across 47 countries and in 20 languages in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Australasia and North America. In the past 12 months it has also rolled out 44 new games, doubling the total number of games offered across the previous three years.

SOURCE: SportCaller media release.

Walk into A ‘Win’-Ter Wonderland with Four New Scratch-Off Games from The Florida Lottery

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (December 7, 2020) – Today, the Florida Lottery is excited to debut four new Scratch-Off games! The four new games, $2,000,000 50X CASHWORD, DIAMOND MINE 9X, CASH CELEBRATION, and LOTERIA™, range in price from $2 to $10 and feature more than 28 million winning tickets!

Become an instant multi-millionaire with $2,000,000 50X CASHWORD! This $10 game offers more than $229 million in cash prizes and eight top prizes of $2,000,000. The game’s overall odds are 1-in-3.37.

Strike it rich with a $500,000 top prize from DIAMOND MINE 9X! This $5 game offers $48 million in total cash prizes. The game’s overall odds are 1-in-4.00.

Advertisement

The $2 game, CASH CELEBRATION, gives players another reason to celebrate with a top prize of $30,000 and more than $22 million in cash prizes! The game’s overall odds are 1-in-4.37.

For just $2, LOTERIA™, features more than 12 million winning tickets, including 16 top prizes of $30,000! The game’s overall odds are 1-in-4.63.

These four new Scratch-Off games make great additions to any gift this holiday season. The Florida Lottery encourages players to ‘gift’ responsibly and remember that Florida Lottery products are intended for those 18 and older.

All Lottery retailers are expected to have these new tickets in stock and available for purchase within 72 hours.

Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 75 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $1 billion for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2019-20.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $38 billion to enhance education and sending more than 880,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue back into Florida's economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Lottery retailers and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $72.5 billion in prizes and made nearly 3,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit: www.flalottery.com.

SOURCE: The Florida Lottery.

Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center Reopens Today

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (December 7, 2020) –Today, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) announced the reopening of its Claim Center located at 124 W. Capitol Ave. in Little Rock with limited staff. The facility was closed temporarily last Thursday due to a possible exposure to COVID-19.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we temporarily closed the Claim Center so it could be disinfected,” said Eric Hagler, ASL director.

Advertisement

“Some players have taken advantage of our mail-in claims program, which has always been available for player convenience, while others have been waiting for us to reopen,” Hagler said. “Since the Claim Center is reopened with limited staff, winners should anticipate the process taking longer than under normal conditions.”

Hagler reminded players that prizes of $500 and less can be redeemed at retailers.

The Claim Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, claims must be submitted no later than 4:15 p.m. Tickets are only sold on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Due to ongoing health concerns surrounding the pandemic, the ASL is continuing its additional safety precautions to ensure the health and well-being of the public and its employees.

• Only one claimant at a time will be allowed in the Claim Center to honor proper social distancing.
• Anyone entering the Claim Center must wear a mask/facial covering. To protect your safety, lottery employees handling claims will also be wearing masks.
• In an effort to expedite the process, winners are encouraged to complete a claim form ahead of time and have all proper identification on-hand at the time of arrival. Claim forms will be available just outside the Claim Center door that winners must complete before entering.

Here is the process for mail-in claims:

Advertisement

• Sign the back of the winning ticket.
• Print and fill out a claim form that can be found at MyArkansasLottery.com under “Claim Prize.”
• Make a copy of a photo identification card (driver’s license, U.S. passport, passport issued by a foreign government, U.S. Armed Forces I.D., or U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services I.D.).
• Mail the signed ticket, completed claim form and copy of the I.D. to Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, P.O. Box 3838, Little Rock, AR 72203.

The player will be mailed a check.

About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery

More than 92 cents of every dollar of ASL revenue goes to prizes, scholarships, retailer commissions, and other expenses in Arkansas. Since 2009, the lottery has raised more than $1 billion in proceeds for scholarships. More than 600,000 college scholarships have been awarded to Arkansans. The lottery has awarded more than $3.4 billion in prizes to players, about $295 million in retailer commissions and provided more than $139 million in 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.

SOURCE: The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

Government Launches Review to Ensure Gambling Laws Are Fit for Digital Age

The Culture Secretary has launched a major and wide-ranging review of gambling laws to ensure they are fit for the digital age as committed to in the manifesto.

From: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Nigel Huddleston MP, and The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP

Advertisement

• National Lottery minimum age raised to 18 to protect young people
• Online stake limits, gambling advertising and age limits to be considered
• Gambling Commission’s role and powers will also be looked at

LONDON, U.K. (December 8, 2020) -- Online restrictions, marketing and the powers of the Gambling Commission will be looked at as part of a call for evidence, to examine in detail how gambling has changed over the past 15 years.

Protections for online gamblers like stake and spend limits, advertising and promotional offers and whether extra protections for young adults are needed will all be explored.

The findings will be used to inform any changes to the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure customer protection is at the heart of the regulations, while giving those that gamble safely the freedom to do so.

The review will also look at evidence on the action customers can take where they feel operators have breached social responsibility requirements, such as intervening to protect customers showing clear signs of problematic play, and how to ensure children and young people are kept safe from gambling-related harm.

The Government recognises the need to balance the enjoyment people get from gambling with the right regulatory framework and protections.

It has also been announced today that the minimum age for playing the National Lottery will be raised from 16 to 18 from October 2021.

It follows a range of measures recently introduced by the Government to protect consumers from the risk of gambling-related harm. These include cutting the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals, bringing in tighter age and identity checks for online gambling, banning gambling using credit cards and expanding national specialist support through the NHS Long Term Plan.

Advertisement

In September the Government launched a call for evidence to explore young people’s experiences of loot boxes in video games. This will provide a clearer picture of the size of the loot box market in the UK and fully examine any evidence of harms or links to problem gambling.

The review of the Gambling Act 2005 will also consider the Gambling Commission’s powers and resources to ensure it can keep pace with the licensed sector and tackle the black market.

In October the Gambling Commission introduced new rules on VIP schemes, and has called for evidence around how to ensure operators identify and intervene where people are at risk of harm, including through carrying out affordability checks. The Commission will also soon set out new rules on safer game design for online slots and withdrawing winnings.

Alongside the launch of the review, the Government is announcing its decision to raise the minimum age to play the National Lottery from 16 to 18, to protect young people from gambling related harm.

Since it began in 1994 the National Lottery’s games portfolio has changed significantly and there has been a growing trend towards online play and instant win games like scratchcards. Following a consultation, from October 2021 it will be illegal to sell all National Lottery products to under 18s.

The Government is working with the Gambling Commission and Camelot to roll out the new age limit across the National Lottery products as quickly as possible and to ensure that it is in place by October. Under current plans, online sales to 16 and 17 year olds will stop in April 2021.

Read the original article DCMS website.

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

Meet Claude, Illinois Lottery's Newest Holiday Hamster

Claude is always available to watch live online

ILLINOIS (December 2, 2020) -- The Illinois Lottery launched its annual holiday campaign Tuesday, introducing Claude the Hamster as its newest star this season.

Claude was chosen as the holiday campaign's celebrity hamster due to his love of scratching, according to the Illinois Lottery.

"The Lottery is bringing a little cheer to the holidays by sharing some behind the scenes footage of its recent shoot with celebrity hamster Claude - and giving viewers the chance to win prizes," a release said.

Viewers can "gift" different items to the hamster and see how he reacts for a chance to win prizes and "bring some joy to the holiday season," the Lottery said.

"Knowing how much our pets have helped us get through 2020, the Lottery is giving viewers the chance to see more of Claude with some exclusive behind the scenes footage of this celebrity hamster," the Illinois Lottery said.

As part of the holiday campaign, the Lottery encouraged people ages 18 and older who visit the website to view Claude to enter the Illinois Lottery Holiday instant ticket bundles.

The 10 winners will be selected each week of December.

Viewers can "gift" different items to the hamster and see how he reacts for a chance to win prizes and "bring some joy to the holiday season," the Lottery said.

SOURCE: Illinois Lottery | NBC Chicago.

Freedom + Social Lottery Now on Lotto24.de

• Main prize: 250,000 euros immediately and 5,000 euros per month for 15 years
• Already more than 340,000 winners
• Generated over 1.3 million euros for non-profit educational projects
• Win a camper adventure

HAMBURG, Germany (December 3, 2020) -- The new freedom + social lottery is now also available on lotto24.de! At freiheit +, participants have the chance each week of a combined main prize of 5,000 euros per month for 15 years and an additional 250,000 euros as a direct one-off payment. The probability of winning this main prize is 21 times higher than with LOTTO 6aus49. In addition, every eighth ticket wins a prize. Since the start of the lottery on the tipp24.com lottery portal in March 2020, more than 340,000 game participants have been delighted with a prize - most recently a 62-year-old from Baden-Württemberg won the main prize at freiheit + in October.

"It is great that our customers can finally take part in freiheit + on lotto24.de - we are already looking forward to our first LOTTO24 main winner", says Jonas Mattsson, CFO of LOTTO24 AG.

Classified Advertisement

"Since 50 cents of every tip field sold goes to charitable educational projects, we are also very proud that, thanks to freiheit +, we have already been able to provide more than 1.3 million euros in support."

freiheit + supports among other things educational projects of the three initiators Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, SOS Children's Villages worldwide and the German Children and Youth Foundation (DKJS), as well as many independent projects. In addition, in the spring, freiheit + started educationally relevant corona aid and put up to ten percent of the social contributions directly into projects to combat the effects of the pandemic. More information at bildungslotterie.de.

Win a camper adventure

In the period from December 7, 2020 to January 4, 2021, all game participants - both on lotto24.de and tipp24.com - also have the opportunity to take part in a special raffle: Anyone who hands in their ticket for freiheit + during this period also has the chance to win a one-month camper road trip on roadsurfer.com . Every tip counts!

About LOTTO24 AG:

LOTTO24 AG is the leading German provider of state lottery products on the Internet ( lotto24.de, tipp24.com). LOTTO24 vermittelt Spielscheine von Kunden an die staatlichen Landeslotteriegesellschaften sowie die Deutsche Fernsehlotterie und erhält hierfür eine Vermittlungsprovision. Zum Angebot zählen unter anderem LOTTO 6aus49, Spiel 77, Super 6, EuroJackpot, GlücksSpirale, Spielgemeinschaften, Keno, die Deutsche Fernsehlotterie und freiheit+. Nach der Gründung im Jahr 2010 und dem Börsengang 2012 an der Frankfurter Börse (Prime Standard) ist LOTTO24 heute Marktführer. 2019 wurde LOTTO24 mehrheitlich von der ZEAL Network SE übernommen und gehört seitdem zur ZEAL-Gruppe. Als stark wachsendes und zugleich service- und kundenorientiertes Unternehmen hat LOTTO24 den Anspruch, Kunden sowohl online als auch mobil ein besonders bequemes, sicheres und zeitgemäßes Spielerlebnis zu bieten.

SOURCE: LOTTO24 AG.

Svenska Spel Takes Handball Fans into the European Championship Bubble in a New Studio Program

VISBY, Sweden (December 3, 2020) -- Follow the national handball team behind the scenes when Svenska Spel's Heja studio knocks on the door to the national team stars' hotel room. In the studio program, fans will get to know the Swedish European Championship squad a little closer when they are taken into the bubble at the player hotel in Silkeborg.

Tonight, Sweden plays the first match in this year's European Championship when the Czech Republic is the opposition. With a rematch against Hungary in the bag, the Swedish girls are charged for an exciting championship.

Classified Advertisement

But not everything is as it used to be. Even before the training matches against Hungary last week, the national team went into its bubble and since then the players have not met anyone outside the squad. In Denmark, players will spend virtually all of their time outside of training and matches in their hotel rooms.

Now Svenska Spel gives all the country's handball fans a unique opportunity to follow into the European Championship bubble. In the studio program "Svenska Spels Heja-studio - inside handball national team", viewers will be offered unique material from inside the players' hotel rooms.

“It will be fun to bring the fans into the bubble and I hope that they will get to know us players a little better. We will definitely show sides of us that perhaps not many people know about,” says Filippa Idéhn who together with Anna Lagerquist is the first to open the door to the hotel room.

“We will get to know the national team stars on a more personal level and take part in their preparations for the matches. The players' hotel rooms are really as close to their home as you can get and it is an environment that no Swedish handball fans have previously had access to. But now the players open the hotel room door and offer fans a unique insight into their lives in the European Championship bubble,” says Stina Packalén, sponsorship project manager at handball's main sponsor Svenska Spel.

Interact with the players

The program will be broadcast live in the handball national team's app Gameday and in Svenska Spel's social media on the days when the team does not play a match. Chat and polls will be open so viewers can interact live with the players.

During the broadcasts, other interesting guests will also appear.

The first episode of Svenska Spel's cheer studio - inside the national handball team will be broadcast on Friday 4 December at 12.00.

Download Gameday in the App Store.

Download Gamedy in Google Play.

SOURCE: Svenska Spel.

Instant Win Gaming and the Virginia Lottery Launch Industry-First Progressive Jackpot Enabled e-Instant Games

U.K. (December 3, 2020) – Instant Win Gaming (IWG), the leading supplier of digital e-Instant games to NASPL/WLA-member lotteries, congratulates the Virginia Lottery for being the first in the U.S. to launch progressive jackpot enabled e-Instant games.

IWG’s progressive jackpot module combines the digital entertainment of e-Instant games with the proven excitement of jackpot-style prizing commonly associated with lottery draw games, marking a significant step forward for the iLottery category.

Jungle Tumble Jackpots, the first game title to feature IWG’s progressive jackpot technology, is now available to iLottery players across Virginia.

The base game of Jungle Tumble Jackpots features the company’s popular symbol cluster mechanic, and incorporates three in-game, instant-win jackpot prizes: a mini jackpot expected to be awarded multiple times each day, a mid-tier jackpot expected to be awarded weekly, and a top-prize jackpot expected to be awarded once per month. Actual frequency will depend on the volume of play.

Classified Advertisement

IWG purposely engineered its progressive jackpot module to be 100% self-contained within its Remote Game Server (RGS).

This means the Virginia Lottery can launch progressive jackpot enabled games through the same processes applied to launching standard e-Instant games.

No technical support of any kind is required from its iLottery platform provider, NeoPollard Interactive.

This latest innovation builds on the partnership between the Virginia Lottery and IWG, with the supplier’s content delivering a series of record-breaking game launches for the lottery since going live in August 2020.

Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kevin Hall said, “We just launched our iLottery program in July and we are already breaking new ground for our industry with the launch of IWG’s progressive jackpot enabled games.

This is testimony to the fast pace at which internet channels must evolve in order to keep pace with consumer expectations.”

The modularity of IWG’s RGS allows for rapid innovation. Launching brand new game technologies without orchestrating the work across multiple technology partners is critical to lotteries competing in the fast-paced digital world.

IWG CEO Rhydian Fisher said, “The fact that the Virginia Lottery is the most recent iLottery launch in the U.S. and is now the first to offer progressive jackpots on e-Instant games, is a very impressive feat and speaks volumes to how they’ve structured their iLottery program to achieve record-setting results.

The launch of progressive jackpot enabled games with Virginia Lottery is an important milestone for the iLottery sector, and we’re confident that it will be very popular with players.

“The key to our progressive jackpot functionality is that it’s controlled completely within our RGS.

We’re thrilled that the team at Virginia Lottery identified this as a key benefit, allowing them to offer progressive jackpots without additional integration at the platform level.

We’re looking forward to delivering progressive jackpots, along with other innovations, to more lotteries across North America in the coming months.”

SOURCE: Instant Win Gaming.

Minister Announces the Commencement of the Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019

From Department of Justice

DUBLIN, Ireland (December 2, 2020)

• this Act modernises the promotion of gaming and lotteries
• egislation also standardises the minimum gambling age at 18 years
• will act as an interim reform measure pending the comprehensive reform of gambling in Ireland

The Minister of State with special responsibility for gambling regulation, James Browne TD, has today announced that the Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 will come into effect on 1 December 2020.

This fulfils the commitment made when the legislation was enacted.

Making the announcement, Minister Browne said:

"This Act modernises the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 and will help the better promotion of local gaming and lottery activity.

These activities, held primarily for charitable and philanthropic purposes, are the lifeblood of our sporting clubs and community organisations across the country.

"Many of these clubs and organisations have had their fundraising efforts hit hard by the pandemic.

With Christmas approaching, some will already be planning local end of year raffles and draws for small prizes.

I want to assure you that these changes I am announcing today will not impede your efforts."

The main purposes of the 2019 Act are to:

• streamline and modernise the application process for gaming permits and lottery permits and licences for smaller scale, local gaming and lottery activity
• protect underage people by standardising the minimum age for all licensed gambling at 18 years of age, including for betting on the Tote
• ensure more proceeds from lotteries goes to charitable causes
• update the stake and prize limits for licensed gaming machines, with a provision for the Minister to amend the amounts by regulation
• serve an important public interest in assisting the better promotion of gaming and lotteries and enhance consumer protection

The 2019 Act is an interim reform measure pending the comprehensive reform of gambling in Ireland. The government is committed to the modernisation of our licensing and regulatory environment for gambling.

A new independent gambling regulator will enforce appropriate licensing and regulatory measures in respect of all gambling activities, including online.

Referring to the Programme for Government commitment, Minister Browne said:

"Gambling is a large and evolving industry. It must be the subject of a modern, sensible and effective licensing and regulatory approach.

My department is now engaged in the drafting of a General Scheme of a new Bill to provide for that comprehensive reform.

"I was also pleased to secure “seed funding” of €200,000 for the new Regulator as part of the Justice allocation in Budget 2021."

Permits and licences already issued under the provisions of the 1956 Act will remain in force until their next renewal date.

If that date is after 1 December 2020, the new provisions will apply. All necessary arrangements will be in place to support the commencement of the Act including:

• application Forms for Gaming permits and Lottery Permits from An Garda Síochána
• new registers of permits and licences issued by An Garda Síochána, the District Court and the Revenue Commissioners
• rules of the District Court

Further information on the changes announced by Minister Browne today can be found on the website of the Department of Justice at: www.justice.ie.

The Act can be located here.

SOURCE:  Department of Justice.