Company’s Instant “Scratch” Games Continue Generating Funds for Education and Veterans’ Assistance in State of Texas

Scientific Games Corporation announced that the Texas Lottery extended the Company’s existing contract for instant “scratch” games six additional years through 2024. Scientific Games’ innovative instant products, including spotlight games, families of games, Scratch My Back^® games offering play on both sides of the ticket, and new high-definition HD Games™, have proven popular with Texas Lottery players. In 2017, the Texas Lottery was the first of 16 U.S. lotteries to launch Scientific Games’ blockbuster WILLY WONKA GOLDEN TICKET™ multi-state linked instant game with winners from Texas attending the BILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE™ event in Las Vegas in spring 2018.

“The Texas Lottery recognizes the continuous innovation that Scientific Games invests to create very marketable games that are not only enjoyed by our players, but help us make important contributions to education and veterans’ assistance in our state,” said Texas Lottery Executive Director Gary Grief. “Scientific Games is a trusted business partner, and we look forward to six more years of ‘scratch’ game entertainment that has been a vital part of the Texas Lottery’s growth over many years.”

Scientific Games, a U.S.-based company, has provided instant games to the Texas Lottery since the Lottery’s inception 26 years ago. With a total contribution of $1.450 billion to education and veterans’ assistance in the state in fiscal year 2018, the Texas Lottery has generated more than $1 billionin revenue for Texas for 15 consecutive years and has experienced record sales for eight straight years.

“Scientific Games is honored to continue our longtime instant games partnership with the Texas Lottery,” said John Schulz, Senior VP Instant Products, Lottery for Scientific Games. “Led by an account team that is highly experienced with the Texas Lottery’s unique business and revenue requirements, our game designers are already innovating more value-added products that can help the Lottery achieve its financial goals in the coming years.”

With a total of nine instant game presses in five manufacturing facilities on four continents, Scientific Games supplies products that generate more than 70 percent of U.S. instant game retail sales. The Company launched the world’s first secure instant lottery game in 1974 and currently provides games, technology and services to more than 150 lotteries globally.

WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and all related characters and elements © and ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.  (s18)

All ® notices signify marks registered in the United States.  © 2018 Scientific Games Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.

About Scientific Games:
Scientific Games Corporation is a world leader in gaming entertainment offering the industry’s broadest and most integrated portfolio of game content, advanced systems, cutting-edge platforms and professional services. The company is #1 in technology-based gaming systems, digital real-money gaming and sports betting platforms, casino table games and utility products and lottery instant games, and a leading provider of games, systems and services for casino, lottery and social gaming. Committed to responsible gaming, Scientific Games delivers what customers and players value most: trusted security, engaging entertainment content, operating efficiencies and innovative technology. For more information, please visit www.scientificgames.com

VanEck announced the launch of the VanEck Vectors® Video Gaming and eSports ETF (NYSE Arca: ESPO).

“Just a few years ago, talk of sold out stadiums, viewership in the millions, high-profile sponsors, and notable marketing arrangements would have been centered on football, baseball, basketball or hockey. But today, that talk can just as easily be applied to the world of video games and eSports,” said Ed Lopez, Head of ETF product at VanEck. “This is the future of sports and a growth story that is global in scope.”

The video game market is undergoing a period of transformative growth, added Lopez, and is predicted to generate close to $140 billion in revenue in 2018, an increase of more than 13 percent from 2017. It’s not just that people are playing more video games on more platforms; one of the driving factors of growth for the industry has been the emergence of professional video gaming, or eSports. We anticipate that established video game companies are set to benefit the most with the rise of eSports, through partnerships, league ownership, sponsorships, franchising, and other marketing arrangements.

“eSports have brought video games out of the rec room and into the stadiums,” continued Lopez. eSports has become one of the largest spectator sports in the world with games streamed online or on major broadcast outlets like ESPN and at live gaming events held in stadiums. For example, the League of Legends world finals in 2017 attracted more viewers than the MLB World Series, the NBA finals, and the NHL Stanley Cup finals. In 2018, the global eSports audience is expected to reach 380 million people.

“The video game industry is disrupting traditional media and entertainment,” said Lopez, “and with a young and highly engaged demographic, ESPO provides investors access to what we believe can be a long-term growth story.”

ESPO seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the performance of the MVIS^® Global Video Gaming and eSports Index (MVESPO). The index is a rules-based, modified capitalization weighted, float adjusted index intended to give investors a means of tracking the overall performance of companies involved in video gaming and eSports. This may include companies developing video games and related software, streaming services, and/or those involved in eSports events. To be included in the index, companies must generate at least 50% of their revenues from video gaming or eSports. This allows ESPO to have the highest concentration, among U.S.-listed ETFs, of pure play names participating in this fast-growing space.

ESPO has a gross expense ratio of 0.60% and a net expense ratio of 0.55%, which is capped contractually until [February 1, 2020.]

ESPO joins VanEck’s suite of industry-focused equity ETFs, which also includes the VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH®), VanEck Vectors Biotech ETF (BBH®), VanEck Vectors Environmental Services ETF (EVX®), VanEck Vectors Generic Drugs ETF (GNRX), VanEck Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH®), VanEck Vectors Retail ETF (RTH®), and VanEck Vectors Gaming ETF (BJK®).

About VanEck

VanEck has a history of looking beyond the financial markets to identify trends that are likely to create impactful investment opportunities. We were one of the first U.S. asset managers to offer investors access to international markets. This set the tone for the firm’s drive to identify asset classes and trends – including gold investing in 1968, emerging markets in 1993, and exchange traded funds in 2006 – that subsequently shaped the investment management industry.

Today, VanEck offers active and passive strategies with compelling exposures supported by well-designed investment processes. As of September 30, 2018, VanEck managed approximately $46.1 billion in assets, including mutual funds, ETFs, and institutional accounts. The firm’s capabilities range from core investment opportunities to more specialized exposures to enhance portfolio diversification. Our actively managed strategies are fueled by in-depth, bottom-up research and security selection from portfolio managers with direct experience in the sectors and regions in which they invest. Investability, liquidity, diversity, and transparency are key to the experienced decision-making around market and index selection underlying VanEck’s passive strategies.

Since our founding in 1955, putting our clients’ interests first, in all market environments, has been at the heart of the firm’s mission.

Microgaming has reached an agreement to supply its full bingo offering to Betsson Group.

Home to a number of industry leading brands, including Betsson.com, Betsafe.com and Nordicbet.com, Betsson Group is one of the largest companies in the online gaming industry. The Group holds licences in 11 jurisdictions and its brands have a well-established presence in key European regulated markets such as Denmark, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The new agreement with Microgaming will give Betsson Group complete access to the software supplier’s full bingo offering; beginning with a product rollout on Betsson’s Scandinavian, UK and Spanish brands later this year, with more markets to follow in 2019.

Through the new deal, Betsson’s players will be able to enjoy Microgaming’s state-of-the-art HTML5 bingo client, which provides access to existing chat and game liquidity, delivering the ultimate bingo experience on any device.

Players on Betsson’s brands will also benefit from a range of bingo variants, over 450 Casino in Bingo side games, and access to the industry’s largest progressive jackpot network. Microgaming will also supply its flexible back-office suite and bingo managed services, which are used by major lottery providers in Europe.

“Established over 50 years ago, Betsson Group has incredible pedigree and boasts some of the most popular and trusted brands in the business. We are delighted to welcome the Group in a deal that marks another endorsement of our ever growing bingo brand.” – said Andrew Clucas, Microgaming COO

“Microgaming boast one of the most impressive bingo offerings in the industry and a proven track record in delivering high quality gaming products. We’re looking forward to taking our bingo offering to the next level with this deal, which we see as a further step to our commitment to provide the best and most engaging player experience in the industry.” – concluded Joey Hurtado, Head of Gaming at Betsson Group