GoodLot Teams up with Best Western Hotels
GoodLot.co.uk, the online arm of charity lottery operator Novamedia, has launched a new game through a partnership with Best Western Hotels. The game, GoodFlight, gives players a chance to win a three-night trip for two to any European city.
Staking £2 a week or subscribing for a year, each GoodFlight player picks a unique lucky number from a fictitious mix of city, hotel, travel companion, activity and restaurant choices. The player chooses the real city he would like to visit. Five matching numbers wins the holiday plus £2,000 spending money.
Novamedia also recently announced intentions to launch a U.K.-based Postcode Lottery following the successful Dutch model.
Scientific Games Gets Contract Extension in Washington
Scientific Games Corp. announced that it has been awarded two one-year contract extensions by the Washington Lottery. The contract is valued at approximately $5 million over its two-year term. "We are very pleased to continue working with the Washington Lottery," said Scientific Games Chairman and CEO Lorne Weil. "We have enjoyed working with the Washington Lottery staff since 1989. Indeed we printed the great majority of their instant tickets in each of the last four years. We will continue to work closely with them to ensure the Washington Lottery's continued success."
Sazka Contemplates Rare Move in Bond Market
According to a Dow Jones news report, Czech lottery and betting games operator Sazka A.S. is examining the possible impact of issuing up to €190 million in Eurobonds without first receiving a rating from an international agency. Economists said that issuing the bonds without a rating would decrease the potential buyer base and raise the premium Sazka would have to offer investors to subscribe to the issue.
Sazka spokesman Zdenek Zikmund said the lead manager for the deal would be Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), in cooperation with privately owned Czech-Slovak investment group Penta Finance.
Government Officials in India Continue Inquiry
Central Government officials in India said on Tuesday that the Union Home ministry would continue the process of inquiry relating to the conduct of online lotteries and other state lotteries in Kerala to arrive at an appropriate decision in public interest.
The government will also hear all concerned parties before taking a decision, B C Mandal, director, Ministry of Home Affairs, said in his affidavit.
Mandal has asked for three months to complete the inquiry.
Lottomatica SpA said receipts from its Lotto game rose to 592.7 million euro in February, from 526.1 million euro a year earlier. Winning pay-outs were 511.2 million euro against 260.1 million euro.
Lottomatica chief executive Rosario Bifulco said the company still has 125 million euro in reserves that can be distributed to shareholders in dividend payments.
Bifulco said the company expects 120 million euro in capital expenditure over a three-year plan and has the necessary financial resources to carry out extraordinary investments, such as acquisitions. He said any acquisitions could be carried out to acquire technological know-how, to develop its product range, or to diversify in other countries. He added that the company is interested in the Turkish market and could take part in a tender to run the country's lottery and instant lotteries.
GTECH Inks Deal with Luxembourg Lotto
GTECH Corp. signed a five-year contract extension with Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte, the operator of Loterie Nationale of Luxembourg, to provide new lottery terminals, products, and ongoing services through October 2012.
GTECH says it expects to generate revenues of approximately $23 million to $25 million from the contract extension.
Under the terms of the extension, GTECH will provide approximately 600 Altura terminals with AccuTherm Supreme printers; 425 AccuviewCustomer Display Units (CDUs); marketing and software services, including game design and development; and will relocate its project data center operations from Brussels to Luxembourg.