POLLARD BANKNOTE AWARDED DIGITAL SUPPORT CONTRACT BY THE NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LOTTERY

WINNIPEG, MB, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Pollard Banknote Limited ("Pollard Banknote" or "the Company") (TSX: PBL) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a new contract by the North Carolina Education Lottery ("NCEL" or "Lottery") to provide digital support and related services. Following a successful competitive procurement process, this contract's initial term runs until October 31, 2025, and can be renewed in one-year increments for up to three additional years.

This contract expands Pollard Banknote's decade-long relationship with the NCEL, which currently includes an iLottery solution (through its joint venture, NeoPollard Interactive LLC) complete with a fully integrated omnichannel player engagement and loyalty program, as well as offering scratch-off tickets and related marketing support.

The scope of the contract is primarily focused on providing analysis and insight of online traffic patterns across channels. Seeking a best-in-class partner to help continue to raise the caliber of its online experience and add value beyond the scope of existing contracts, the Lottery chose Pollard Banknote. The Company's analysis and insights identify content and cross-sell opportunities that improve player engagement, accelerate conversions, and enhance player loyalty. Pollard Banknote will support the Lottery by providing innovative and effective multichannel digital strategies and support to optimize the user experience.

As part of its new responsibilities—beyond establishing a clickstream strategy and providing analysis—Pollard Banknote will offer results-based rationales for changes to the Lottery's digital strategies based on our unique ability to provide expert analysis and insight.  

"We wanted a partner with the proven know-how to play a pivotal role in our Lottery's future by fortifying our digital assets within this highly specialized space," said Mark Michalko, Executive Director, North Carolina Education Lottery. "Pollard Banknote's leadership can help us responsibly grow sales to benefit statewide education initiatives by presenting innovative multichannel solutions, optimizing for high-quality searches, and providing exceptional digital support and services."  

"Pollard Banknote is dedicated to improving the digital player experience in all areas. Recognizing this as a key strategic focus, we have invested heavily in enhancing our expertise in the field by attracting the best and brightest talent in the industry to make us the ideal partner for lotteries that are increasingly reliant on this type of specialized support to grow sales," said Shannon DeHaven, Vice President, Digital Engagement, Pollard Banknote. "We look forward to collaborating with the NCEL to establish a sophisticated strategy that vastly improves the customer journey across its digital channels, which will meaningfully enrich the user experience and ultimately affect revenue."

Since its inception in 2005, the North Carolina Education Lottery has raised more than $9.6 billion for education programs across all of North Carolina's 100 counties. Last year alone, the Lottery raised on average $2.5 million a day for education programs in the state.

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 64.3% by the Pollard family and 35.7% 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

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