Sales Soar for Michigan Lottery's New Super Bingo Instant Ticket with WebPlay® App

WINNIPEG, Jan. 28, 2016 /CNW/ - Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) ("Pollard Banknote") congratulates the Michigan Lottery on the successful launch of its latest $5 Bingo instant ticket: Super Bingo. First offered to players on December 1, 2015, Super Bingo sales for the first five weeks are an astonishing 78% higher than the average five-week sales of all other $5 Bingo games launched in Michigan since April 2009. The game is now on track to sell out by the first week of February!

This new version of the Lottery's instant Bingo ticket was developed by Pollard Banknote and features an entirely new design that offers players the chance to win up to 12 times with each ticket, two more chances than the previous game. In addition, Pollard Banknote developed the revised WebPlay® Power Bingo app, giving it a refreshed look and game play that rivals the design standards of the most popular Bingo apps. The WebPlay® Power Bingo app is the company's latest technology-enabled Space Between™ product that adds an interactive component to support instant tickets at retail. It gives players two options: they can purchase a ticket at retail and play the bonus interactive game for the chance to win prizes, or they can play Power Bingo for fun with no purchase necessary.

Since the launch of this new ticket and app, more than 67,000 interactive games have been played for fun on mobile and desktop, and over 170,000 paid games have been played. The outstanding early sales and high participation level  for Super Bingo show that pairing a bold, new ticket design with an exciting interactive game offers a strong appeal to players at retail and online and for purchase or just for fun play.

Offering features such as multipliers and instant wins, plus additional prizes, the Power Bingo app adds to the anticipation and excitement of the game. The app has improved technology, built to give players the ability to play not only on the mobile app or desktop computer, but also on a mobile browser, expanding players' options for how they access their favorite Bingo game.

Both the app and the web-based versions may also be played for fun without the purchase of an instant ticket. This play-for-fun option gives players the opportunity to try Power Bingo online before they buy the Super Bingo ticket, a proven way to effectively increase positive purchasing decisions.

"We are extremely pleased with the impressive results for the first five weeks of sales for Super Bingo," said Jeff Holyfield, Director of Public Relations for the Michigan Lottery. "We're continually exploring new and exciting ways to appeal to Lottery players, and this refreshed Bingo game, which gives our players more options in the digital space, is clearly a win-win product."

"At Pollard Banknote, we focus on developing innovations that will drive sales and attract younger players. The Michigan Lottery's great sales results for Super Bingo, coupled with the large number of games played via Power Bingo provide further proof that WebPlay® games extend the play value of an instant ticket," said Nancy Bettcher, Vice President, Product Innovation & Development. "These initial results support the importance of providing players with a dynamic experience that extends the life of an instant ticket. We are therefore not surprised that the Super Bingo instant ticket paired with the Power Bingo interactive game and app continues to appeal to Michigan Lottery's players."

Pollard Banknote and its predecessor companies have been the primary instant ticket supplier to the Michigan Lottery since 1986. In fiscal year 2015, the Michigan Lottery provided $795.5 million to the State School Aid Fund. Established in 1972, the mission of the Michigan Lottery is to support public education and it has contributed more than $19.6 billion to support the state's schools. It accomplishes its mission by providing highly entertaining products through a dynamic public business enterprise built upon integrity, customer satisfaction, and teamwork.

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

Image with caption: "SUPER BINGO INSTANT TICKET WITH WEBPLAY® APP (CNW Group/Pollard Banknote Limited)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160128_C2765_PHOTO_EN_608440.jpg

Image with caption: "SUPER BINGO INSTANT TICKET WITH WEBPLAY® APP (CNW Group/Pollard Banknote Limited)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160128_C2765_PHOTO_EN_608442.jpg

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]