Pollard Banknote and NeoGames Announce Joint Venture to Offer iLottery Services

WINNIPEG, March 31, 2014 /CNW/ - Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) ("Pollard Banknote"), one of the world's leading full-service lottery vendors, and NeoGames, a leading global internet lottery provider with strong expertise in online and mobile products, today announced the formation of NeoPollard Interactive, a joint venture arrangement. NeoPollard Interactive combines the marketing expertise and extensive worldwide lottery experience of Pollard Banknote with the proven leadership and technology of NeoGames in launching new iLottery channels and mobile gaming products and services in response to an ever-evolving marketplace. The joint venture will leverage the strengths of both companies to develop, implement, operate, and maintain innovative iLottery services for regulated lottery clients in order to generate revenues for good causes.

Together, Pollard Banknote and NeoGames recently won a contract to provide iLottery services to the Michigan Lottery. With this success, the two companies have formalized their relationship as a joint venture, making services available to other lotteries—with a primary focus on the emerging iLottery market within North America. NeoPollard Interactive will provide lotteries with customized iLottery solutions including modular and full turnkey offerings to create and operate interactive web and mobile channels to help grow their player base, optimize player engagement and retention, and build their brand by cross-promoting across all channels. This combination of market-proven expertise and technological innovation will help lotteries expand their portfolios into the critical channels of online and mobile gaming.

"We are very excited to join forces with NeoGames to help lotteries expand their game portfolios and add new distribution channels," stated Doug Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Pollard Banknote. "The strength of NeoPollard Interactive will be our collective ability to leverage all lottery channels—from 'bricks and mortar' retail to interactive gaming—in response to how players want to play in our consumer-driven culture. With the addition of iLottery, we hope to help lotteries optimize sales and contributions to good causes."

"A lottery is made up of a network of interactions across various sales channels. This 'ecosystem' thrives and evolves when a lottery successfully utilizes these channels to increase player engagement," said Ilan Rosen, Chief Executive Officer, NeoGames. He added, "Our research and experience show that an exceptional, jurisdiction-specific iLottery portfolio helps lotteries encourage players of traditional lottery products to develop and expand into multi-channel players in an increasingly complex omni-channel lottery ecosystem. Additionally, it reaches new target markets, a challenge currently faced by most lotteries. NeoPollard Interactive will offer a comprehensive iLottery solution that will help lotteries create a seamless lottery experience through all available channels."

About Pollard Banknote

Pollard Banknote is one of the world's leading full-service lottery vendors and is a major supplier to North America's charitable gaming industry. The company manufactures instant lottery tickets and provides related programming, design and marketing support. As well, Pollard Banknote manufactures pull-tab tickets and bingo paper, and supplies lottery management services (including warehousing and distribution). Established in 1907, Pollard Banknote is owned approximately 73.5% by the Pollard family and 26.5% by public shareholders and currently serves more than 50 lotteries worldwide, including some of the largest and most respected lotteries in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. For more information, please visit our website at www.pollardbanknote.com.

About NeoGames

NeoGames is a leading software and service provider specializing in the development of interactive instant win and lottery games since 2005. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of multi-channel, internet, mobile and tablet soft gaming solutions and with its robust and flexible gaming system, enables lotteries and commercial gaming operators around the world to tailor the most effective offerings for their specific markets. NeoGames provides leading-edge operational and marketing services that help its partners maximize revenues from interactive channels in a dynamic market environment.

NeoGames currently serves over two million active players around the world. With an 'act local, be global' approach to strategy and sales. For more information, please visit our website at www.neogames.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 ABOUT POLLARD BANKNOTE CONTACT:

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]

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NEOGAMES CONTACT: 

Moti Malul 
Vice-President, Sales & Business Development
Telephone [phone] 
E-mail: [email protected]

Ilan Rosen
Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]