California Lottery's PlayBook® Featuring an Interactive Game Reaches Record-Breaking Sales

WINNIPEG, July 22, 2015  /CNW/ - Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) ("Pollard Banknote") is pleased to congratulate the California State Lottery ("California Lottery") on the launch of its first ever PlayBook® instant ticket, Deluxe 7's Playbook. This also marks the first time that a PlayBook® product has been launched with an interactive WebPlay™ component—Deluxe 7's Digital—designed and implemented by Pollard Banknote. The $20 Deluxe 7's Playbook has been the star of the Lottery's portfolio since its launch on June 22, 2015, helping to push the $20 price point to record-breaking levels. To date, Deluxe 7's Playbook has had cumulative sales that are 20% ahead of the Lottery's last two games launched at the $20 price point—adding $43.7 million (USD) to California's instant ticket sales!

Integral to the excitement is the interactive Deluxe 7's Digital WebPlay™ game. Offering players the chance to play for fun or collect Bonus Draw entries, the mobile and web-friendly game adds value to the PlayBook®, a booklet of tickets packed with six dazzling gem-themed games. Pollard Banknote's exclusive PlayBook® brings multiple instant games together in a unique format, allowing players to enjoy a wide variety of play experiences and a number of different games in a new, exciting way. By the end of this year, 65 PlayBook® games will have been launched in 20 jurisdictions around the world, with estimated retail sales of more than $1.3 billion.

"Our most recent collaboration with Pollard Banknote has allowed us to give our players a new and exciting instant ticket experience," said Paula LaBrie, Acting Director, California Lottery. "The PlayBook® innovation has broad appeal and offers a variety of games. We've taken it one step further to give our players the option of extending the play experience to a digital platform, encouraging interaction with the Lottery's brand online."

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to enhance the California Lottery's instant ticket portfolio with the addition of our patented PlayBook®—a concept that has proven time and again to drive instant ticket sales," said Jennifer Westbury, Executive Vice President, Sales & Customer Development, Pollard Banknote.  "California is the first jurisdiction in the world to combine a PlayBook® ticket with an associated WebPlay™ game, and in just a few weeks, the web and mobile-friendly game has been played close to 300,000 times! This proves that California's players are enjoying the Deluxe 7's Playbook across all platforms."

The mission of the California Lottery is to provide supplemental funding to California public education on all levels, from kindergarten through to the University of California plus several specialized schools. Since its inception in 1985, the Lottery has provided approximately $28 billion to students attending California's public schools.

About Pollard Banknote

Pollard Banknote is a leading lottery partner to more than 50 lotteries worldwide, providing high quality instant ticket products, licensed games and strategic marketing and management services for both traditional instant games and the emerging iLottery space of web, mobile and social channels.  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 plays a major role in the charitable pull-tab and bingo markets in North America. Established in 1907, Pollard Banknote is owned approximately 73.5% by the Pollard family and 26.5% 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

Doug Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Telephone: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; John Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Telephone: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Rob Rose, Chief Financial Officer, Telephone: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]