IDAHO LOTTERY EXTENDS PRIMARY SCRATCH TICKET PRINTING CONTRACT WITH POLLARD BANKNOTE

WINNIPEG, MB, March 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Pollard Banknote Limited ("Pollard Banknote"); (TSX: PBL) is thrilled to announce a two-year extension of its Scratch Ticket Printing contract with the Idaho Lottery ("the Lottery"). This renewal, effective until March 2027, ensures that Pollard Banknote remains the Lottery's primary partner, supplying at least 71% of its Scratch tickets annually. Additionally, Pollard Banknote will continue to provide related services, including game design, marketing, and strategic planning.

Pollard Banknote first partnered with the Idaho Lottery in 2013, offering innovative products and strategic recommendations to enhance its Scratch ticket product category. This successful collaboration culminated in a new primary partnership that came into effect in 2021. Since then, the Idaho Lottery's Scratch ticket sales have soared by 33.1%—the second highest growth among all U.S. lotteries. This growth led to the Lottery delivering record-breaking dividends to the people of Idaho, benefiting public schools and state facilities.

The strength of this partnership was evident as the Idaho Lottery recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. Building on the success of the Lottery's 30th Anniversary family of games—which won NASPL's Best New Instant Game award in 2019—the Idaho Lottery and Pollard Banknote collaborated to launch a new 35th Anniversary family of games in 2024. Featuring Pollard Banknote's eye-catching Scratch FX®, the family of games were available at $5, $10, and $20 price points and featured 35th anniversary-themed prizes such as $35, $350, and $3,500. In addition, a special second chance promotion allowed players to submit non-winning tickets for entries to monthly drawings for the Lottery's first-ever progressive jackpot, which grew with each ticket entered. The 35th Anniversary family of games achieved outstanding sales across all price points, contributing to a record $84 million dividend in fiscal year 2024.

"We are excited to extend our partnership with the Idaho Lottery, which is built on our shared vision of innovation and player engagement," said Byron Peterson, Senior Director, Sales & Marketing, Pollard Banknote. "Together, we will continue to develop exciting games and marketing strategies that resonate with Idahoans, ultimately supporting the valuable initiatives funded by lottery proceeds throughout the state."

"The Idaho Lottery has seen significant success through its collaboration with Pollard Banknote," said Andrew Arulanandam, Idaho Lottery Director. "Extending our contract with Pollard Banknote means we will remain ahead of market trends and continue to deliver exciting products to our players. We look forward to continuing to work together to create memorable lottery experiences that also benefit the Idaho community."

The Idaho Lottery responsibly provides a variety of entertaining games featuring Powerball, Mega Millions, Scratch Games™, and Pull Tabs 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 $5.8 billion in products, awarded more than $3.7 billion in prizes to players, returned $342 million in retail commissions, and distributed $1.273 billion in Lottery dividends to Idaho public schools and buildings. To learn more, please visit www.idaholottery.com.   

About Pollard Banknote

Pollard Banknote is a leading lottery partner to more than 60 lotteries worldwide, providing high-quality instant ticket products, licensed games, in-lane ticket options, and sales-driving merchandising solutions from its Schafer Retail Solutions + portfolio. It also offers a full suite of digital offerings, ranging from world-class 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, ticket vending machines, 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% by the Pollard family and 36% by public shareholders, and is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (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

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, E-mail: [email protected]; Rob Rose, Chief Financial Officer, E-mail: [email protected]; John Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, E-mail: [email protected]; Pollard Banknote Limited, Telephone: [phone]