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First Mobile-Enabled Lottery Card™ Debuts in Ohio

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The Lottery Card™ from Linq3 and Blackhawk Network gives consumers a new, digital lottery experience; available in Buehler’s Fresh Foods, Giant Eagle and Kroger stores statewide

 

CLEVELAND, Aug. 20, 2018 — The new mobile-enabled Lottery Card™, now available in select grocery and retail stores statewide, allows Ohio consumers to buy and play Powerball® and Mega Millions® in a new, convenient and fun way. Ohio is among the first states to debut this digital lottery option, which allows players to enter these draw games on their phones. The Lottery Card is now available for purchase by adults 18 or older and can be found in checkout lanes and on gift card racks in Buehler’s Fresh Foods, Giant Eagle and Kroger stores statewide. This unique way to play lottery will become available in additional states later this year, subject to applicable state lottery approval.

Perfect for lottery enthusiasts and gift card lovers alike, the Lottery Card pairs a fun, digital way to play the lottery with the convenience of a gift card. The product is a major innovation in lottery and gift cards, and shoppers will love it for gifting and self-use. Lottery Cards are currently available for both Powerball and Mega Millions, and cost $10 for five plays and $20 for 10 plays. Consumers are charged the cost of their chosen Lottery Card plus $0.89 for Mobile Play Benefits.

To play, consumers simply purchase the Lottery Card at their favorite Buehler’s, Giant Eagle or Kroger location. When ready to enter the next lottery drawing, the player texts in the Lottery Card’s unique code to a specified number, provides their name and confirms their location to complete a one-time card enrollment. The player then receives a picture message with the quick pick numbers, draw date and other transaction information. Winners are notified via text and picture message and most winnings are paid automatically via PayPal1. After enrolling, players can use their Lottery Card to play again and again by presenting it at checkout. More details regarding this new way to play, including where to buy the Lottery Card, are available at playatthecheckout.com.

The Lottery Card is the result of a collaboration between Linq3 and Blackhawk Network (Blackhawk). Linq3 is an innovation and technology company that designs, builds and markets state-of-the-art solutions that make it easier and more fun to play the lottery. Blackhawk is a global financial technology company and leader in connecting brands and people through branded value solutions, including gift cards.

“Lottery players, like all consumers, want convenience and a great user experience. The Lottery Card provides both. It’s a product designed to fit with consumers’ increasingly busy and digital lifestyles,” said Tom Spiegel, Linq3 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

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An additional benefit of the Lottery Card is the opportunity for consumers to gift it, providing recipients the excitement of playing and the chance to win big. Based on independently-conducted research, 44 percent of consumers surveyed are interested in receiving a gift card to play the lottery, while 43 percent would be interested in giving a lottery gift card.2

According to the National Retail Federation, for the eleventh year in a row, gift cards have been the most popular items on holiday wish lists in America.3 The addition of the Lottery Card to checkout and gift card racks will provide consumers with a new gift card option for the five gift-giving holidays―and retailers with a new way to capitalize on the spikes in lottery sales that occur when jackpots are high.

“We are proud to pair Linq3’s innovative technology with our robust retail network to bring the Lottery Card to market in Ohio,” said David Tate, Blackhawk Network Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing. “The Lottery Card represents an innovation in both the gift card and lottery industries, and is a great gift option for those accustomed to living a more digitally-enabled lifestyle.”

Between 2007 and 2016, the Ohio Lottery contributed more than $8.04 billion to the state’s education system, including more than $1.06 billion in 2016 alone.4

 

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About Linq3:
Linq3 Technologies, Inc. is a U.S.-based innovation and technology company focused on transforming the lottery industry. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Linq3 designs, builds and markets state-of-the-art solutions for modern lottery gameplay. Linq3 holds regulatory approvals and state licenses that allow it to generate and distribute lottery tickets through a proprietary technology platform. This platform uses existing point of sale (POS) devices at major retailers across the United States. For more information, please visit linq3.com and playatthecheckout.com.

About Blackhawk Network :
Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. is a global financial technology company and a leader in connecting brands and people through branded value solutions. Blackhawk platforms and solutions enable the management of stored value products, promotions and rewards programs in retail, ecommerce, financial services and mobile wallets. Blackhawk’s Hawk Commerce division offers technology solutions to businesses and direct to consumers. The Hawk Incentives division offers enterprise, SMB and reseller partners an array of platforms and branded value products to incent and reward consumers, employees and sales channels. Headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., Blackhawk operates in 26 countries.

For more information, please visit BlackhawkNetwork.com, CashStar.com, HawkCommerce.com, HawkIncentives.com .

1 Jackpot prizes of $600 or more must be collected at a lottery office.
2 The findings are part of an Internet-based survey conducted independently by Leger on behalf of Blackhawk Network in March 2018. The sample size included 3,030 American respondents ages 18+.
3 NRF Holiday Spending Survey is a survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics on behalf of the National Retail Federation in October 2017. The sample size included 7,349 consumers.
4 History of Payments to Education, 2007‒2016, was published by the Ohio Lottery in 2016.

CONTACT:
Erin Dolin
[email protected]
303-204-4819

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Source: Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc.


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What makes Turbo Games’ provably fair games so special?

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A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.

Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”

Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.

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According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.

There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.

Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”

Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”

What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.

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Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.

 

 ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

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The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

More information: https://slotegrator.pro/

 

ABOUT TURBO GAMES

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Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.

Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.

The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.

More information: https://turbogames.io/

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Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

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Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.

Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.

Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.

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Participating in the event

As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.

To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair

About Games Factory Talents

A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.

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To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents

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810 THE SPREAD

Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting

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Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.

Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”

Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”

Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”

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The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:

6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.

9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.

12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.

4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.

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8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio

BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.

For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.

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