Connecticut Lottery Gives Players The Star Treatment With Instant Game

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, February 3, 2016 /CNW/ – Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) (“Pollard Banknote”) congratulates the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (“CT Lottery”) on the sales success of its $10 instant scratch game, Star Platinum Play. This premium instant game, featuring Pollard Banknote’s exclusive Scratch FX®, has captured the attention of lottery fans and is achieving remarkable results. After 10 weeks on the market, Star Platinum Play’s average weekly sales were 55% higher than the average sales of all other $10 games launched by the Lottery since 2012! Since its launch in September 2015, this game has earned the Lottery over $15.5 million in sales.

Star Platinum Play showcases Scratch FX®—a print treatment that adds sparkle and shine to an instant ticket for a visual appeal and brilliance that exceeds that of foil and metallic inks. The stunning ticket, designed and printed by Pollard Banknote, features a combination of shimmering silver, platinum, and holographic effects—catching the eye of new and existing players alike, with a prominent and clear emphasis on the top prize of $1,000,000.

With multiple top prizes of $1,000,000, Star Platinum Play invites players to step into the limelight and get a taste of VIP treatment. Building on this notion, the CT Lottery created a unique advertising campaign. A video available on the Lottery’s website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel shows a player strolling a neighborhood as a movie star. The campaign includes clever taglines, such as “For the STAR in YOU!” The stars have aligned in Connecticut and lottery fans are over the moon!

“In partnership with Pollard Banknote, the Lottery has developed a number of successful games using Scratch FX®, and Star Platinum Play is just one more example of how game development and marketing can be combined to create a real show stopper in an instant product,”  noted Anne Noble, the Lottery’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Scratch FX adds the ‘special’ effect that supports our creative concept of ‘star-quality’ for this product.  Our ad campaign celebrates the fun of winning in a humorous way, and features the ticket prominently.   We remind customers to ‘Own It’ and ‘Play like a STAR,’ and, they are!’”

“Pollard Banknote is delighted with the exceptional performance of the Connecticut Lottery’s Star Platinum Play game,” said Jennifer Westbury, Executive Vice President, Sales & Customer Development, Pollard Banknote. “This game is yet another demonstration of our patented Scratch FX® process optimizing the visual impact of an instant ticket at retail, and driving sales that go toward supporting good causes. More than 400 Scratch FX® products worldwide have earned over $7.5 billion in sales. We look forward to working with the Lottery to continue strategically incorporating Pollard Banknote innovations into its instant ticket portfolio.”

The CT Lottery’s mission is to raise revenue in an entrepreneurial manner for the State of Connecticut, consistent with the highest standards of good public policy and social responsibility, by offering fun and entertaining products to its players, and by ensuring the public’s trust through integrity and honesty. In fiscal year 2015, the Lottery achieved sales of $1.144 billion, returning a record $319.7 million to the state’s General Fund. The Lottery supports valuable services and programs such as health and hospitals, education, road maintenance, and public safety. In its commitment to responsible gaming, the CT Lottery has achieved Level 2 Certification for its responsible gaming program from the World Lottery Association and is working towards Level 3 Certification.

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.

-30-

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: