WINNIPEG, MB, Aug. 3, 2021
/CNW/ - Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) ("Pollard
Banknote") is pleased to announce that following a competitive
procurement process, it has been awarded a four-year contract by
the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency ("MLGCA" or the
"Lottery") as its primary contractor for instant ticket games and
related services. Under this new contract, Pollard Banknote will be
assigned at least 67% of the total number of instant
ticket games procured each fiscal year. The new agreement
begins July 8, 2021 and includes the
option of one additional three-year extension.
This new contract extends the long-standing relationship built
between Pollard Banknote and the MLGCA. Since 2006, Pollard
Banknote has proudly served the Lottery as its primary contractor
for instant tickets. In that time, the Lottery's instant ticket
sales have more than doubled, and in FY2020 reached record sales of
$852.7 million. As a result of the
Lottery's outstanding success, it has been the second
fastest-growing lottery in the U.S. for the last six years.
Pollard Banknote and the MLGCA have worked together to continue
to strengthen and diversify its game portfolio, including the
optimization of its extended play category. The Lottery leveraged
Pollard Banknote's category expertise and industry-best translucent
marking system when it launched its first $20 Crossword game, $500,000 Crossword. The game was just one of
many in the Lottery's highly successful Crossword category, which
has experienced sales growth of 130% since FY2015. The Lottery
diversified its popular extended play category even further with
the introduction of Bingo X20, its first Bingo ticket at the
$20 price point.
Leveraging Pollard Banknote's print innovations and licensed
brands, the Lottery has kept its instant ticket portfolio fresh and
exciting. For example, the Lottery's $10 Ravens ticket, featuring the Ravens
holographic logo, is the industry's first-ever Scratch FXtra™
ticket. Pollard Banknote has also partnered with the Lottery to
introduce popular licensed brands such as Marilyn Monroe™.
Accentuated by Pollard Banknote's patented Scratch FX®
and a second chance promotion that featured a glamorous
experiential prize package, the MLGCA's Marilyn Monroe™
ticket became one of the Lottery's best-selling $2 licensed games.
Pollard Banknote will continue to work closely with the MLGCA to
develop outstanding instant ticket concepts, identify effective
strategies to optimize its retail presence, and explore
opportunities to implement exciting digital offerings. The Lottery
will have ongoing access to Pollard Banknote's innovative new
product offerings, insightful market research tools, and exciting
brands from our portfolio of licensed games to help drive sales
growth.
"We are pleased to continue our successful relationship with
Pollard Banknote under this new primary contract award. Together,
we have achieved remarkable growth over the years and we look
forward to building on our shared past success with exciting new
games and products for Maryland Lottery players," said John Martin, Director, Maryland Lottery. "Our work will continue to
focus on providing our players with highly engaging instant ticket
games while exploring untapped lottery opportunities that will
further drive revenue for the benefit of the good causes we support
in Maryland."
"We are thrilled that the Maryland Lottery has once again chosen
us to be their primary partner for instant tickets and related
services, and we look forward to continuing to support the Lottery
across all facets of its instant ticket portfolio," said
Matthew Isaac, Senior Director,
Lottery Marketing, Pollard Banknote. "Through our continued
collaboration, we look forward to introducing many more
cutting-edge instant ticket games and lottery products to the
Maryland market."
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency generates revenue
to help support good causes within the State. Since its inception
in 1973, the Lottery has contributed more than $17 billion in revenue to the State and awarded
more than $28.2 billion in prizes to
players. In FY2020, the Lottery contributed $1.113 billion to the State's good causes which
support education, public health and safety, and environmental
preservation.
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 Compliant Gaming electronic
games and devices to charitable and other gaming markets in
North America. Established in
1907, Pollard Banknote is owned approximately 64.3% by the Pollard
family and 35.7% by public shareholders, and is publicly traded on
the TSX (PBL). For more information, please visit our website at
www.pollardbanknote.com.
Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute
"forward-looking" statements and information, which involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause
actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance, or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used
in this document, such statements include such words as "may,"
"will," "expect," "believe," "plan," and other similar terminology.
These statements reflect management's current expectations
regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as
of the date of this document. There should not be an expectation
that such information will in all circumstances be updated,
supplemented, or revised whether as a result of new information,
changing circumstances, future events, or otherwise.
SOURCE Pollard Banknote Limited