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Pollard Banknote Limited  WINNIPEG, MB, Aug. 3, 2021 /CNW/ - Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) ("Pollard Banknote") is pleased to announce that following a competitive procurement process, it has been awarded a four-year contract by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency ("MLGCA" or the "Lottery") as its primary contractor for instant ticket games and related services. Under this new contract, Pollard Banknote will be assigned at least 67% of the total number of instant ticket games procured each fiscal year. The new agreement begins July 8, 2021 and includes the option of one additional three-year extension.

This new contract extends the long-standing relationship built between Pollard Banknote and the MLGCA. Since 2006, Pollard Banknote has proudly served the Lottery as its primary contractor for instant tickets. In that time, the Lottery's instant ticket sales have more than doubled, and in FY2020 reached record sales of $852.7 million. As a result of the Lottery's outstanding success, it has been the second fastest-growing lottery in the U.S. for the last six years.

Pollard Banknote and the MLGCA have worked together to continue to strengthen and diversify its game portfolio, including the optimization of its extended play category. The Lottery leveraged Pollard Banknote's category expertise and industry-best translucent marking system when it launched its first $20 Crossword game, $500,000 Crossword. The game was just one of many in the Lottery's highly successful Crossword category, which has experienced sales growth of 130% since FY2015. The Lottery diversified its popular extended play category even further with the introduction of Bingo X20, its first Bingo ticket at the $20 price point.

Leveraging Pollard Banknote's print innovations and licensed brands, the Lottery has kept its instant ticket portfolio fresh and exciting. For example, the Lottery's $10 Ravens ticket, featuring the Ravens holographic logo, is the industry's first-ever Scratch FXtra™ ticket. Pollard Banknote has also partnered with the Lottery to introduce popular licensed brands such as Marilyn Monroe™. Accentuated by Pollard Banknote's patented Scratch FX^® and a second chance promotion that featured a glamorous experiential prize package, the MLGCA's Marilyn Monroe™ ticket became one of the Lottery's best-selling $2 licensed games.

Pollard Banknote will continue to work closely with the MLGCA to develop outstanding instant ticket concepts, identify effective strategies to optimize its retail presence, and explore opportunities to implement exciting digital offerings. The Lottery will have ongoing access to Pollard Banknote's innovative new product offerings, insightful market research tools, and exciting brands from our portfolio of licensed games to help drive sales growth.

"We are pleased to continue our successful relationship with Pollard Banknote under this new primary contract award. Together, we have achieved remarkable growth over the years and we look forward to building on our shared past success with exciting new games and products for Maryland Lottery players," said John Martin, Director, Maryland Lottery. "Our work will continue to focus on providing our players with highly engaging instant ticket games while exploring untapped lottery opportunities that will further drive revenue for the benefit of the good causes we support in Maryland."

"We are thrilled that the Maryland Lottery has once again chosen us to be their primary partner for instant tickets and related services, and we look forward to continuing to support the Lottery across all facets of its instant ticket portfolio," said Matthew Isaac, Senior Director, Lottery Marketing, Pollard Banknote. "Through our continued collaboration, we look forward to introducing many more cutting-edge instant ticket games and lottery products to the Maryland market."

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency generates revenue to help support good causes within the State. Since its inception in 1973, the Lottery has contributed more than $17 billion in revenue to the State and awarded more than $28.2 billion in prizes to players. In FY2020, the Lottery contributed $1.113 billion to the State's good causes which support education, public health and safety, and environmental preservation.

About Pollard Banknote

Pollard Banknote is a leading lottery partner to more than 60 lotteries worldwide, providing high quality instant ticket products, licensed games, Schafer Systems and Fastrak retail merchandising solutions, and a full suite of digital offerings, ranging from world-class mkodo 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, 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 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

For further information: Doug Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Rob Rose, Chief Financial Officer, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; John Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Pollard Banknote Limited, Telephone: (204) 474-2323

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