Konami Gaming’s top casino slot entertainment is recognized in annual awards

Las Vegas, NV — March 11, 2021

Konami Gaming, Inc.’s premium DIMENSION 49J video slot cabinet, along with its debut game series All Aboard, have been nominated in three separate categories in the Annual EKG Slot Awards by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. DIMENSION 49J™ has been nominated for Top Performing NEW Cabinet, while All Aboard™ has been nominated for Top Performing NEW Premium Game and Top Performing Proprietary Branded Game. Following demonstrated success in Australian markets, All Aboard made its North American premiere last year as the debut game series for Konami’s DIMENSION 49J video slot cabinet, cabinet, with 49-inch, J-curve display in 4K Ultra High-Definition (UHD). All Aboard and DIMENSION 49J are honored as official nominees in the 3rd Annual EKG Slot Awards, in addition to Konami’s Fortune Cup® multi-station mechanical horse racing game and Diamond Trails™ linked progressive series.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to see the performance success and player popularity brought on by All Aboard and DIMENSION 49J for our casino customers,” said Tom Jingoli, executive vice president & chief operating officer at Konami Gaming, Inc. “The game now reaches players at over 100 casino destinations in North America, not to mention overseas and online. The response has been phenomenal, and continues to grow.”

Konami’s train-themed All Aboard series has been voted among the industry’s most anticipated premium leased games by operators in Eilers – Fantini Slot Survey¹, backed by consistent rankings in the Top 25 Indexing New Games – Premium Leased^{2 - 5}. The game remains in high demand, bringing Konami’s award-winning DIMENSION 49J to increasing players, properties, and markets around the globe. Winners of the 2021 EKG Slot Awards will be announced later this month.

For more information about Konami Gaming, Inc., please visit www.konamigaming.com.

About Konami Gaming, Inc.

Konami Gaming, Inc. is a Las Vegas-based subsidiary of KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION (TSE: 9766). The company is a leading designer and manufacturer of slot machines and casino management systems for the global gaming market. For more information about Konami Gaming, Inc. or the SYNKROS gaming enterprise management system, please visit www.konamigaming.com. 

Media Contact:

Tashina Wortham

Marketing Communications Manager

702.419.6025

wortham0609@konamigaming.com

LAS VEGAS (March 15, 2021) – Buffalo™ fans have a new reason to cheer because Aristocrat Gaming™ is launching the most highly anticipated game of 2021, Buffalo Link™.   Housed on Aristocrat’s all-new MarsX™ Portrait cabinet, Buffalo Link combines the thrill and functionality of Aristocrat’s legendary Lighting Link™ and Dragon Link™ games with the theme and features of the gaming industry’s most recognized slot brand – Buffalo.

Click here to download high-res game image   Buffalo Link is a landmark combination of innovation and player-favorites. The game introduces the player-favorite Hold & Spin™ functionality and five denomination sets to the Buffalo brand. Staying true to the legacy of Buffalo, Buffalo Link retains its classic Free Games feature along with exciting, new enhancements.   With 2x and 3x wild multipliers now available on reel 5, players will be looking for those signature base game Buffalo wins. Unique to Buffalo Link is a new mystery must-hit-by bonus, awarding either Free Games or the Hold & Spin bonus feature, bringing players an added chase on their bonus pursuit.    Buffalo Link introduces a single-site linked progressive with multi-denomination functionality to the Buffalo brand. From Buffalo Link’s Hold & Spin feature, players have an opportunity to win the linked Grand Jackpot, standalone Major, or static Minor and Mini bonus awards.   Buffalo Link comes packaged with innovative signage and is available in a range of banking configurations that can be tailored to any casino floor.

Fantini Emerging Insights
Interviews with the Gaming Industry’s Leaders
 
PRESS RELEASE of March 11, 2021   

SCORE GAMING CEO LEVY TALKS OF CANADA’S POTENTIAL

Score Gaming and Media Founder and CEO John Levy discusses what he calls the company’s tremendous opportunity in Canadian sports betting and its plan to be a market leader in the US following its recent IPO.

Levy’s interview: https://youtu.be/t29vGqX-dwg.

Previous videos in the Emerging Insights series feature these CEOs:

Michael Daly - Catena Media, John Acres - Acres Technology,

Greg Carlin - Rush Street Interactive, Andrew Burke - Bluberi,

Tim Minard - Eclipse, Todd Cravens - Galaxy Gaming,

David Field – Entercom, Matt Davey - Tekkorp,

Earle Hall - Axes Network, Randy Sampson - Canterbury Park,

and Charlo Barbosa - GoodGamer.

 
This is an ongoing service and more videos will be posted throughout the year.

All of these videos can be viewed at

https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/emerging-insights.html

The Emerging Insights videos are sponsored by Everi.

Any questions about the series can be addressed to Associate Publisher Ashley Diem at  ADiem@FantiniResearch.com or at +1 302 730 3793.

Inspired by the success of its Wild Wild™ game series, Aristocrat Gaming™ introduces an innovative new gaming family, Cash Across™. In Cash Across games, core players thrill to the excitement of big wins and jackpot potential.   Cash Across games are housed on Aristocrat’s revolutionary MarsX™ Portrait cabinet. This family of high volatility games has frequent features and group multi-denom.

Click here to download high res game images. The unique Cash Across feature makes for a very fast what-you-see-is-what-you-get and an easy win structure. In Cash Across, players want Cash Across symbols to drop onto reel one. In Cash Across Full Stack, expanding Cash-on-Reels symbols cascade down making wins more attainable. In Cash Across Standard Stack, wins only need to connect with one wild symbol on the first reel.   Adding to the excitement are grand, major, minor, and mini SSP/SAP jackpots. The grand jackpot starts at $10,000 in a penny configuration.

Click to watch bonus highlights for Horses of Helios and Savanna Lion

Cash Across comes to market with two thrilling titles: Horses of Helios™ and Savanna Lion™. Horses of Helios brings the era of Greek mythology’s God of the Sun to life in brilliant graphics that take players on a vibrantly colorful trip through ancient Greece.   The king of the beasts roars large in Savanna Lion. This journey through tropical Africa engages and entertains players with stunning sights and sounds.   For more information about Cash Across, Horses of Helios, or Savanna Lion, contact your Aristocrat representative at (702) 270-1000.

 
LAS VEGAS (March 8, 2021) – The new RevMax Plus performance optimization program from Aristocrat Gaming is the solution operators of all sizes have been searching for to help maximize game investment through custom and confidential data-driven analytics.
 
Created by Aristocrat’s robust data analytics team, RevMax Plus proactively monitors performance of Aristocrat games across the casino floor. RevMax Plus offers a dedicated analytics team which executes detailed reviews of performance data and current performance trends. This information allows for the development of customized product recommendations individualized to every operator resulting in casino floor adjustments that create the right product mix, aimed at optimizing performance and title diversification. RevMax Plus is further evidence of Aristocrat’s position as a leader in technology and customer service.
 
“RevMax Plus is a testament of Aristocrat’s commitment to our customers and symbolizes where our services meet our exceptional technological capabilities,” said Jon Hanlin, senior vice president of commercial strategy and business analytics. “As a former operator, I understand the importance of data to make critical decisions that directly affect revenue. RevMax Plus delivers solid, data-based recommendations that are unique to each operator’s individual floor.”

Operator response has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Thunder Valley Casino Resort Gaming Revenue Manager Patrick Crawley said, “Only Aristocrat has a program like RevMax that takes a data-driven approach to proactively identify opportunities for product improvement. When you’re managing thousands of games, it’s great to have a partner that cares enough to share the load!”
 
The January 2021 ReelHot Index showed Aristocrat with 19 of the 25 top performing core titles, and 20 of the top 25 best performing premium titles. Even with those outstanding performance numbers, Aristocrat wants operators to make the most of every game on the floor. “Our designers make the best games in the business, and independent research proves that performance. Still, we want operators to maximize revenue, and RevMax Plus is an ideal companion to our catalog of proven-performing games,” Hanlin said.
 
RevMax Plus is the latest version of Aristocrat’s RevMax solution, which has been helping customers boost performance since 2008. The new RevMax Plus includes multiple enhancements, such as:

• dedicated data team provides holistic analysis and game optimization recommendations
• comprehensive and confidential analysis
• monthly performance reports and proactive enhancement solutions
• enhanced and vetted data analytics

 
For more information about RevMax Plus or any of the technologically advanced and innovation solutions from Aristocrat, contact your BDE or reach out to Business.Analytics@aristocrat.com

 
LAKEWOOD, N.J.  (March 8, 2021) – What do the gaming industry’s top influencers and thought-leaders believe lies ahead? Get the inside view as Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) puts trailblazers in the spotlight in its new streaming series, Illuminating Conversations.
 
Hosted by GLI President/CEO James Maida, Illuminating Conversations is a monthly series of thought-provoking dialogs available on-demand at https://www.gaminglabs.com/illuminatingconversations

“This is a time of significant change in the gaming industry and the world at large. We created the Illuminating Conversations series to bring gaming’s most innovative, ingenious and prescient? leaders together for a discussion of what’s working now, what lies ahead in the near and distant future, and how we can work together to make the industry even better,” Maida said. “The series is meant to be informative and thought-provoking; we’ve been working hard to dig for deeper insights and fresh perspectives that we think will really be helpful to those in the industry.”
 
The Illuminating Conversations premiere episode stars Eilers & Krejcik’s Gaming Principal Todd Eilers in a discussion about the future of gaming in a post-pandemic world. What new tools have consumers been using to game during their time in isolation? How are regulators managing, monitoring, and controlling that behavior? Will funding shortages for states and tribes result in the opening of many more delivery channels for gaming products? The first episode is available for streaming on March 11 with answers to these questions and many others.
 
Subsequent episodes feature conversations with Jamaica Betting, Gaming Lottery Commission Executive Director Vitus Evans; NIGA Chairman Ernest Stevens, Jr.; and Managing Director of Gaming Consultants International Neil Spencer. More guests will be announced in the near future.
 
“At GLI, each of our staff members in every one of our labs is doing everything possible to give our clients insight into existing and emerging jurisdictions worldwide and the newest technologies that will be deployed there. We are committed to ensuring clients have the information they need to confidently explore new business opportunities wherever they can be found, and the Illuminating Conversations series is part of that mission,” Maida said. “We want our clients to keep dreaming big, knowing that wherever their dreams take them, they will have a global partner ready to not only meet any challenge, but also to help them navigate the future of gaming. We’re excited about the future. We’re ready to go.”

CATENA MEDIA CEO OUTLINES NORTH AMERICAN AMBITIONS

Brand new Catena Media CEO Michael Daly discusses the opportunity of the North American sports betting and iGaming market.

Daly also discusses Catena’s investment thesis of being the dominant affiliate company in the rapidly growing North American sports betting market with strong margins and good cash flow.

Daly’s interview:  https://youtu.be/yfNrC6nhx8A.

Previous videos in the Emerging Insights series feature these CEOs:

John Acres - Acres Technology, Greg Carlin - Rush Street Interactive, Andrew Burke - Bluberi, Tim Minard - Eclipse, Todd Cravens - Galaxy Gaming, David Field – Entercom, Matt Davey - Tekkorp, Earle Hall - Axes Network, Randy Sampson - Canterbury Park, and Charlo Barbosa - GoodGamer.

 
This is an ongoing service and more videos will be posted throughout the year.

All of these videos can be viewed at

https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/emerging-insights.html

The Emerging Insights videos are sponsored by Everi.

Any questions about the series can be addressed to Associate Publisher Ashley Diem at  ADiem@FantiniResearch.com or at +1 302 730 3793.

Fourth Quarter 2020 Highlights:

• Orion Starwall Off to an Encouraging Start with over 300 Games Installed as of December 31, 2020

• Domestic Active Unit EGM RPD Increased 8% Year-Over-Year to Approximately $27

• Installed Base of Industry-leading Table Game Progressive Products Increased by 127 Units Sequentially

• Received our Provisional Michigan i-Gaming Supplier License in December and AGS Content Currently Live

• Generated Positive Operating and Free Cash Flow for the Second Consecutive Quarter

• $111.7 Million of Available Liquidity as of December 31, 2020


LAS VEGAS, March 4, 2021 - PlayAGS, Inc. (NYSE: AGS) ("AGS", "us", "we" or the "Company") a designer and developer of equipment and services solutions for the global gaming industry, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2020.

AGS President and Chief Executive Officer David Lopez said, “2020 was a year full of unprecedented challenges, the likes of which required the unwavering commitment of a passionate, loyal, and hardworking team to successfully overcome. To that end, I am extremely honored by and thankful for the tireless efforts put forth by so many of our AGS team members to ensure we not only survived the COVID-19 pandemic, but put ourselves in a position to emerge a stronger, more resilient company.”

Lopez added, “Looking beyond the many challenges faced throughout the year, one of the bright spots, to the extent there was one, is that the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the pace of life. As a company, we used this time to refine our strategy and improve our operating efficiency, with a keen focus on three key areas; people, product, and processes. As a result, I believe we are better positioned today to achieve success across all three of our business segments than at any other point in our company’s history.”

AGS Chief Financial Officer Kimo Akiona added, “I am incredibly proud of the way our team came together throughout 2020 to face the unprecedented operational and financial hurdles introduced by the spread of COVID-19. Not only were we able to nimbly streamline our business to preserve liquidity at the onset of COVID-19, but we opportunistically shored up our balance sheet in May and successfully ramped operations as our casino operator partners gradually brought their businesses back online. As I look ahead to 2021, I believe our strong liquidity position, improving product portfolio, and organizational alignment position us to achieve improved financial performance”


Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Results

• During March and April and continuing through mid- to late-May, nearly all of our customers closed their operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken by governments and businesses to contain the virus. COVID-19-related measures continued to impact our customers’ businesses throughout the fourth quarter, pacing the majority of the year-over-year declines in the metrics presented above, including revenues, (loss) income from operations, net (loss) income, and Adjusted EBITDA.

• Consolidated revenue totaled $46.6 million compared to $77.8 million in the 2019 fourth quarter, representing a year-over-year decrease of 40.1%. The year-over-year decline reflects the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impact on our customers' operations and, subsequently, our gaming operations revenue and EGM unit sales.

• We estimate approximately 90% of our 16,268-unit domestic installed base was active as of December 31, 2020. Internationally, we estimate approximately 36% of our 7,985-unit installed base was active as of December 31, 2020.

• Gaming operations revenue, or recurring revenue, totaled $40.0 million compared to $51.6 million in the 2019 fourth quarter. The year-over-year gaming operations revenue decrease reflects the impact of COVID-19 on our EGM and Table Product recurring revenue streams, partially offset by higher Interactive segment revenue, as compared to the prior year. Recurring revenue comprised 85.7% of our total revenue compared to 66.3% in the prior year, reflecting the relative resiliency inherent in our gaming operations business.

• Our 2020 fourth quarter net loss of $17.2 million declined as compared to net income of $1.4 million in the 2019 fourth quarter. Lower net income year-over-year reflects the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, coupled with higher interest expense related to our incremental debt financing, which we closed upon in May 2020.

• Total Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)(1) decreased to $21.3 million compared to $37.3 million in the 2019 fourth quarter. A year-over-year decrease in our EGM adjusted EBITDA, which we largely attribute to the impact of COVID, was partially offset by higher adjusted EBITDA in our Table Products and Interactive segments, as compared to the prior year’s quarter.

• Total Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP)(1) decreased to 45.7% in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to 47.9% in the prior year, reflecting the impact of normalization in our operating cost base to support the anticipated recovery in our revenues from post-COVID lows.

(1) Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP measures, see non-GAAP reconciliation below.


EGM Quarterly Results

Domestic Gaming Operations (2)

• Domestic gaming operations revenue totaled $34.1 million, compared to $41.6 million in the prior year’s quarter. The year-over-year revenue decline reflects the impact of COVID-19-related capacity restrictions and casino closures and, to a lesser extent, a decline in our installed base compared to the prior year period.

• As of December 31, 2020, nearly all our customers' properties in the United States and Canada were reopened, with most operating under some type of capacity limitation. We estimate that more than 14,500, or approximately 90%, of our domestic EGMs were active at the end of the 2020 fourth quarter.

• Our domestic EGM installed base decreased by 2,100 units year-over-year, primarily due to the strategic pruning of approximately 1,200 lower-yielding Integrity units. Additionally, approximately 500 lower-yielding IL VLT units were removed from the base in the fourth quarter of 2020 as part of a planned end of lease term sale. Excluding the Integrity and IL VLT removals, our installed base decreased by approximately 350 units year-over-year, predominantly driven by COVID-19-related floor reconfigurations.

• Domestic EGM revenue per day ("RPD") decreased to $23.26 compared to $24.97 in the prior year period, reflecting the impact of EGMs that were not active in the quarter and thus did not contribute to EGM revenue, but were included in the calculation of RPD.

• Excluding EGMs that were not active during the period, Domestic EGM RPD increased 8% year-over-year to approximately $27, supported by growth within our premium-leased unit installed base, the strategic pruning of lower-yielding units, a resilient core gambling customer, and reduced supply of active EGMs.


International Gaming Operations

• International gaming operations revenue decreased to $1.8 million compared to $6.0 million in the prior year period. The year-over-year decline reflects the impact of measures implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19, such as temporary casino closures and capacity restrictions, on our business. Additionally, in contrast to the United States, Mexico has not provided any type of fiscal stimulus to support its post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

• We estimate approximately 36% of our international EGMs were active at the end of the quarter. Mexico continues to require operators to follow strict protocols that include deactivating adjacent machines and cleaning machines after each is played.

• Our international installed base decreased by 512 units year-over-year as a result of permanent casino closures in Mexico and COVID-19-related floor reconfigurations.


Equipment Sales

• EGM units sold decreased to 283 units in the fourth quarter of 2020, primarily attributable to business disruptions related to COVID-19 as noted above and reduced customer budgets for EGM purchases. Additionally, we faced a softer new opening and expansion calendar, as compared to the prior year.

• Domestic ASP remained stable at $18,035 compared to $17,833 in the prior year period.

• We sold units into 17 U.S. states and one Canadian province, with Virginia, Nevada and California emerging as our top three sales markets.

• The Orion Curve accounted for 37% of units shipped in the quarter.


Product Highlights

• Installed an additional 246 premium, lease-only Orion Starwall games, increasing our installed base to over 300 games at quarter end. Starwall games continue to perform well and operator interest remains steady.

• Installed over 175 Orion Curve cabinets in the quarter, increasing our total footprint to over 370 units as of December 31, 2020.

• Completed our first sale of Historical Horse Racing (“HHR”) units into the Virginia HHR market.

(2) "Domestic" includes both the United States and Canada.


Table Products Quarterly Results

• Gaming operations, or recurring, revenue totaled $2.4 million compared to $2.7 million in the prior year’s quarter. Capacity limitations and other restrictions implemented at casinos to help combat the spread of COVID-19 negatively impacted the year-over-year comparison.

• Continued growth across all product categories, including side bets, premium table games, table equipment and, most notably, progressives, drove a 13.0% year-over-year increase in our installed base. We estimate approximately 80% of our installed base was active at quarter end.

• Equipment sales revenue increased 81.7% compared to the prior year period. The year-over-year improvement reflects an increase from sales of protective VisiDeal Shield plexiglass player dividers and other parts to help our casino customers operate safely in the current environment.

• Our installed base of table game progressives grew to over 1,500 units, representing a year-over-year increase of 235 units and quarterly sequential growth of 127 units.

• Interest in our all-inclusive site license offering, the AGS Arsenal, continues to build as our customers look for additional ways to improve operating efficiency. We were live with six licenses as of December 31, 2020.


Interactive Quarterly Results

• Total revenue increased 27.0% year-over-year to $1.7 million, while Adjusted EBITDA totaled $0.3 million, marking a $0.7 million improvement versus the prior year.

• Interactive achieved positive Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth consecutive quarter. Continued growth within our real-money gaming ("RMG") business and consistent social gaming performance, coupled with cost savings from the restructuring of our social business in prior periods, helped to drive improved profitability within the segment.

• RMG revenue increased 49.8% year-over-year, supported by the continued introduction of our EGM content into the European RMG market, our fourth quarter 2019 launch into the New Jersey market, and our second quarter 2020 launch into Pennsylvania. We also believe COVID-19 stay-at-home measures supported our quarterly performance.

• In December 2020 we received our provisional Michigan i-Gaming supplier license and our content is currently live within the state.


Liquidity and Capital Expenditures

As of December 31, 2020, we had $111.7 million in total liquidity compared to $43.2 million at December 31, 2019. The total principal amount of debt outstanding, as of December 31, 2020, was $622.5 million, predominantly comprised of $621.1 million in first lien term loans, which mature in 2024.

As a precautionary measure to increase the Company’s cash position and facilitate financial flexibility in light of uncertainty in the gaming industry at the time resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, in March the Company borrowed $30.0 million under the revolving credit facility and in May issued an additional $95.0 million in term loans. In connection with the new term loans, the Company negotiated a financial covenant relief period through December 31, 2020 related to its net first lien leverage ratio financial covenant and implemented a revised calculation of EBITDA to be used in the net first lien leverage ratio for the first three quarters of 2021. In October, we elected to fully repay the $30.0 million previously drawn down on our revolving credit facility.

Total net debt, which is the principal amount of debt outstanding less cash and cash equivalents, as of December 31, 2020 was $540.8 million compared to $520.6 million at December 31, 2019. Our Total Net Debt Leverage Ratio increased from 3.6 times at December 31, 2019, to 7.5 times at December 31, 2020, see Total Net Debt Leverage Ratio Reconciliation below(3).

Capital expenditures decreased by 19.1% year-over-year to $14.1 million in the current period, in line with our plans to conservatively manage the use of our cash and only invest in those projects that will provide the highest return on our investment. The current quarter capital expenditures were primarily comprised of $3.4 million in intangible capital expenditures, including capitalized internal software development costs, and $8.7 million in growth capital expenditures, which reflects costs associated with the placement of additional units into our leased installed base.

(3) Total Adjusted EBITDA and total net debt leverage ratio are non-GAAP measures, see non-GAAP reconciliation below.

Complete release with spreadsheet is posted at http://investors.playags.com/

This is an ongoing service and more videos will be posted throughout the year.

All of these videos can be viewed at
https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/emerging-insights.html

The Emerging Insights videos are sponsored by Everi.

Any questions about the series can be addressed to Associate Publisher Ashley Diem at ADiem@FantiniResearch.com or at +1 302 730 3793.

IGT PlaySports Retail and Mobile Technology Earns Critical State-Wide Approval

 

LONDON – March 3, 2021 – International Game Technology PLC (“IGT”) (NYSE: IGT) announced today that it is positioned to expand its sports betting enterprise in Nevada with the recently achieved Nevada regulatory approval for its PlaySports platform for retail and online sports betting. With this approval, IGT’s next-generation sports betting technology stack is approved for deployment throughout the State, enabling more casino operators and their players to benefit from the most widely used sports betting platform in the U.S.

“Achieving Nevada Regulatory Approval for our PlaySports technology enables IGT to extend our sports betting expertise to our many, long-time customers throughout the State and notably differentiates IGT from many other B2B sports betting platform providers,” said Enrico Drago, IGT PlayDigital Senior Vice President. “IGT’s PlaySports platform is equipped with a high-performance betting engine that delivers an exceptional player experience, an integrated Player Account Management module that enables operators to drive player acquisition and retention through bespoke offers and promotions, and a modular design that enables our PlaySports customers to scale their offering with new market opportunities.”

IGT initiated the required Nevada field trial process for its PlaySports technology at Boyd Gaming properties in August 2020 and is currently powering Boyd Gaming’s entire sports betting enterprise in the State.

The original Fu Dai Lian Lian™ Dragon and Panda game versions are player favorites and proven performers. Now Aristocrat Gaming™ is giving the fun a boost with new games on a new cabinet: Fu Dai Lian Lian Boost Peacock™ and Boost Tiger™, both on the MarsX™ Portrait cabinet.
 
Boost Peacock and Boost Tiger raise the bar on innovation again with a combination of three metamorphic features with true persistence – another industry first from Aristocrat. Three bags – Prosperity, Longevity, Jackpot – are shown prominently under the jackpot displays. Symbols on the reels fill each bag, adding to the excitement of achieving a mystery bonus.

While they share the three metamorphic features with true persistence mechanic, each game has unique features for wide player appeal. For example, Boost Peacock focuses on improving the win values of features, while Boost Tiger focuses on improving feature frequency.
 
Players chase the mystery boost bonuses: Prosperity, Longevity, and Jackpot. In Boost Peacock, Prosperity Boost offers 150-line free games with wild stacks and reel growth. Longevity Boost offers free games with x5 wins. In Jackpot Boost, players collect jackpot name letters to win that jackpot.

In Boost Tiger, Prosperity Boost offers 100-line free games with mystery wilds. The Longevity Boost feature has free games have a 2x or 3x multiplier. In Jackpot Boost, players collect jackpot name letters to win that jackpot.
 
Boost Peacock and Boost Tiger are medium-high volatility with frequent feature frequency, have group selectable denom, and a 50-lines configuration.
 
Jackpot levels are grand, major, minor, and mini, and Boost Peacock and Boost Tiger link to existing Fu Dai Lian Lian games for added cross-floor excitement.
 
For information, contact your Aristocrat representative at (702) 270-1000.
 

March 2, 2021

Fourth Quarter:
- $885 million in revenue and $96 million in operating income from continuing operations includes highest Global Lottery revenue and profit performance in two years
- Cash from operating activities of $255 million; combined free cash flow of $191 million in line with prior-year level
- Net loss of $220 million, includes $155 million non-cash foreign exchange loss; combined Adjusted EBITDA of $321 million driven by high profit flow-through of Global Lottery same-store sales growth and benefit from cost-saving actions

Full Year:
- 2020 revenue from continuing operations of $3.12 billion reflects resilience of Global Lottery, including double-digit same-store sales growth in North America in the second half of the year and growing contribution from Digital & Betting activities
- Cash from operating activities totaled $866 million and combined free cash flow was $576 million, among the highest levels in five years
- Reduced net debt by $71 million as reported, $433 million excluding unfavorable foreign currency impact

"The solid results we achieved for this pandemic-impacted year have given us momentum into 2021. They are a result of the vision, agility, and discipline of the IGT team as well as the distinct advantages of our diverse portfolio," said Marco Sala, CEO of IGT. "We also made important strategic progress. The Company undertook a comprehensive reorganization to sharpen our focus on our core competencies and drive structural operational efficiencies. This provides a clear path to increasing shareholder value as we build on our leadership positions with a stronger revenue and profit growth profile."

"We generated $866 million in cash from operating activities during the year, among the highest level in five years, primarily driven by resilient Global Lottery performance and rigorous cost and invested capital controls," said Max Chiara, CFO of IGT. "Liquidity improved more than $300 million to over $2.7 billion. As a leaner, stronger Company, we expect leverage to return to pre-pandemic levels in the next 12-18 months."

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Key Highlights:

Consolidated:
Generated $866 million in cash from operating activities and $576 million in combined free cash flow during 2020; cash flow performance especially strong in the back half of the year
Achieved $500 million in 2020 temporary cost savings/avoidance
Launched OPtiMa business efficiency program and accelerated timing with $200M+ in targeted savings to be achieved in 2021
Implemented a simplified global organizational structure focused primarily on two business segments: Global Lottery and Global Gaming
Announced agreement to sell Italian B2C gaming businesses for €950 million

Global Lottery:
Delivered highest quarterly segment-level revenue and Adjusted EBITDA in two years in the fourth quarter; full year same-store sales up 7% in North America including the strongest annual growth for instant tickets and draw games in seven years
Awarded long-term contracts with the Czech Republic, Poland and Nebraska lotteries following competitive bid processes in 2020
In 2020, signed two-year contract extensions with the New York, Tennessee, and Minnesota lotteries; seven-year contract extensions with Western Canada Lottery Corporation and, more recently, with the Jamaica lottery

Global Gaming:
Sequential stability in Global Gaming revenue and profit in the fourth quarter; KPIs stable to improving
2020 product highlights: growing acceptance of cashless solutions with Resort Wallet™ launched at Resorts World Catskills and, more recently, obtaining Nevada regulatory approval; entered Historical Horse Racing market; launched Peak family of cabinets
Strong double-digit growth in Digital & Betting for the year
Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Highlights:

The Company's B2C gaming machine and sports betting activities in Italy have been classified as discontinued operations due to the pending sale of these businesses. Unless otherwise noted, results presented in this release are from continuing operations.

Fourth quarter results reflect the continued, global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Total revenue of $885 million compared to $1.04 billion in the prior-year period

Global Lottery revenue totals $630 million, up 11% from the prior year
Double-digit same-store sales growth in North America with a return to growth in Italy
Reduced by $19 million catch-up adjustment for unspent advertising in Italy
Global Gaming revenue of $255 million, down 46% from the prior year
Impacted by pandemic-related casino closures and operating restrictions
Sequential stability with the third quarter supported by stable to improving KPIs
Digital & Betting service revenue rose nearly 55% compared to the prior year; overall increase of 4% includes impact of non-recurring software sale in the prior year
Operating income of $96 million, up from $40 million in the prior year

Goodwill impairment of $99 million in the prior-year period
High profit flow-through of Global Lottery same-store sales growth
Global Gaming impacted by pandemic-related decline in revenue
Benefit of disciplined cost-saving actions across segments
Net interest expense of $101 million, in line with prior-year period

Provision for income taxes of $73 million compared to $2 million

Higher valuation allowances on deferred tax assets in the current period
Income taxes paid of $51 million versus $77 million in the prior year
Net loss attributable to IGT was $242 million versus $168 million, driven by higher non-cash foreign exchange losses, primarily on Euro-denominated debt instruments

Net loss attributable to IGT per diluted share of $(1.18) compared to $(0.82)

Adjusted EBITDA of $295 million versus $365 million in the prior year

Net debt of $7.32 billion compared to $7.39 billion at December 31, 2019; reduced $71 million as reported, $433 million excluding unfavorable foreign currency impact

Full Year 2020 Financial Highlights:

Year-over-year comparisons reflect the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Total revenue was $3.12 billion versus $4.03 billion in the prior year

Global Lottery revenue of $2.16 billion, down 6%, demonstrating remarkable resilience
Global same-store sales stable
Steep recovery in second half driven by double-digit North America same-store sales growth
Global Gaming revenue was $951 million, down 45%, as the pandemic caused protracted casino closures and operating restrictions around the world
Operating loss of $107 million compared to operating income of $478 million in the prior-year period

Impact of lower revenue
Goodwill impairment of $296 million in the current year compared to $99 million in the prior year
Benefit of disciplined cost-saving actions across segments
Net interest expense of $398 million versus $411 million in the prior year, on lower average cost of debt

Provision for income taxes of $28 million versus $131 million in the prior year

Pre-tax loss in 2020 compared to income in 2019, in addition to higher valuation allowances on deferred tax assets in 2020
Income taxes paid of $89 million compared to $197 million in the prior year
Net loss attributable to IGT was $898 million compared to $19 million in the prior-year period, driven by higher non-cash foreign exchange losses, primarily on Euro-denominated debt instruments, and goodwill impairment

Net loss attributable to IGT per diluted share of $(4.39) versus $(0.09)

Adjusted EBITDA totaled $1.01 billion compared to $1.45 billion

Cash from operations was $595 million compared to $907 million in 2019, relatively resilient despite pandemic impact, on solid Global Lottery financial results and diligent invested capital management

Capital expenditures of $255 million versus $377 million in the prior year, reflecting focus on cash cost savings during the pandemic

Cash and cash equivalents of $907 million as of December 31, 2020, versus $655 million as of December 31, 2019

Cash and Liquidity Update

Total liquidity increased over $300 million compared to December 31, 2019, due to strong cash flow generation
At December 31, 2020, liquidity totaled $2.72 billion, comprised of $907 million in unrestricted cash and $1.82 billion available under revolving credit facilities

Conference Call Replay

A telephone replay of the call will be available for one week

• US/Canada replay number: +1 855 859 2056
• Outside the US/Canada replay number: +1 404 537 3406
• ID/Confirmation code: 4538018

 

Comparability of Results

All figures presented in this news release are prepared under U.S. GAAP, unless noted otherwise. Adjusted figures exclude the impact of items such as purchase accounting, impairment charges, restructuring expense, foreign exchange, and certain one-time, primarily transaction-related items. Reconciliations to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures are included in the tables in this news release. Constant currency changes for 2020 are calculated using the same foreign exchange rates as the corresponding 2019 period. Management uses non-GAAP financial measures to understand and compare operating results across accounting periods, for internal budgeting and forecasting purposes, and to evaluate the Company's financial performance. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures reflect the Company's ongoing business in a manner that allows for meaningful period-to-period comparisons and analysis of business trends. These constant currency changes and non-GAAP financial measures should however be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, the Company's reported results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

New program enhances operator efficiencies, player safety

IGT and Big Time Gaming pair iconic Wheel of Fortune slots brand with proven Megaways mechanic to create dynamic game for online and mobile slots players

The CEO of Australian slot machine giant Aristocrat Leisure Ltd, Trevor Croker, has revealed the company will roll out new responsible gameplay technology into the domestic market before the end of March after receiving approval from some state regulators.

Providing a detailed outlook for the year ahead to investors during Aristocrat’s Annual General Meeting on Friday, Croker said regulators in the Australian states and territories of New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT have now approved the first games to incorporate “Flexiplay” technology, which it plans to roll out during the current quarter.

“Flexiplay” allows players to voluntarily set time limits and quarantine winnings from being played down via the timer and piggy bank functions, he explained.

“We are preparing to place the first of these games in market in the first quarter of this year,” Croker said. “Our customers have been very supportive of ‘Flexiplay’. We look forward to learning more from the release of ‘Flexiplay’ and to applying the lessons to further product-based RG innovations in future.”

According to Croker, this second generation of responsible gameplay feature, which follows on from Aristocrat’s original “Bluegum” EGM product, was trialed in 2019 before recently gaining regulatory approval.

“Aristocrat is proud of our track record of investing in the development and testing of machine-based responsible gaming features,“ Croker said.

“This is just one example, but it speaks to Aristocrat’s approach in this complex area. We seek to lead, we strive to work collaboratively with customers and other stakeholders, and we focus on bringing forward commercially viable options that enhance player empowerment and choice.”

 
LAS VEGAS (February 25, 2021) – Gaming Laboratories International (GLI^®) has been named Best Laboratory in the SAGSE Awards 2020. Additionally, GLI’s Vice President of Latin America & Caribbean Karen Sierra-Hughes was named a Top Leader in the Land-based and Online Gaming categories.
 
According to event organizers, the SAGSE Awards 2020 celebrate and honor the companies that have excelled in the past year, leading the industry's path to recovery. Winners were chosen via online popular vote.
 
“We are grateful to our industry peers for naming GLI the winner of the Best Laboratory category in the SAGSE Awards 2020, and we congratulate Karen for being named a Top Leader in both the land-based industry and online gaming categories,” said GLI President/CEO James Maida.

“During this challenging time for the world and for our rapidly changing industry, every GLI team member around the world continues to work hard every day to give our clients the confidence and critical local insight needed to explore new markets. We are honored and indeed humbled to be recognized by our industry peers for our work. We join our industry partners in being particularly grateful to Karen for her outstanding leadership in the dynamically changing and exciting Latin America and Caribbean region where she and her team has been known as the ‘go-to-people’ for the critical information needed to enter the LatAm gaming markets,” he added.

The SAGSE organization is well-known for the quality of the events they produce and for the many years they have dedicated to supporting the Latin American industry, especially during these unprecedented times where their virtual events brought us all together to keep us informed and hopeful for the future.

Late last year, GLI was named Best Test Lab in the Baltics and Best Test Lab in the Nordics in the Baltic and Scandinavian Gaming Awards 2020. Also, Sierra-Hughes received Latin American Gaming Hall of Fame’s prestigious Recognition Award at the 2019 Juegos Miami gaming conference and was listed in the 2019 iGaming Business Magazine´s 10 Most Influential Women List. In Latin America, the Caribbean, and around the world, GLI helps you meet your goals, plain and simple. No matter the platform, geography, or unique challenge, GLI gives you the assurance and guidance you need.? Get started at https://gaminglabs.com/.

Iconic Las Vegas Strip property converts to state-of-the-art CMS connecting slots, table games, and retail point-of-sales

Australian slot machine developer Ainsworth Game Technology Limited (AGT) has entered into a new five year US$35 million secured credit facility with the US-based Western Alliance Bancorporation, with the majority of the proceeds already used to pay down other debt.

Ainsworth said Friday that it has used US$28 million of the new facility to “extinguish all Company obligations under the prior revolving credit facility with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ Bank).“

The company’s United States subsidiary, Ainsworth Game Technology Inc, is listed as borrower of the new facility with its parent firms AGT Pty Ltd and Ainsworth Game Technology Limited serving as guarantors.

More information will be provided when the company releases its results for the six months to 31 December 2020 this Thursday. Ainsworth revealed earlier this month that it expects to report a loss of around AU$14 million (US$10.8 million), having previously recorded a loss of AU$43 million (US$33.8 million) for the year ended 30 June 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19.

Investor Insights

Best Ideas from the Best Investors

PRESS RELEASE February 18, 2021


GREEN’S TOP PICKS

Penn Capital’s Chief Investment Officer Eric Green is a successful gaming investor with an eye for value and overlooked ideas.

Green shares his best ideas in an Investor Insights video interview produced by Fantini Research and sponsored by Global Payments Gaming Solutions.

Among Green’s best ideas:

• GAN, a platform provider positioned to capitalize on the growth in online gaming and sports betting.

• Golden Entertainment is a Nevada-focused casino, slot routes and tavern operator with a $20 stock yet likely to generate $4 a share in free cash flow next year.

• Bally Corp, a fast-growing regional casino operator also positioned to capitalize on sports betting and iGaming.

Green’s full interview: https://youtu.be/FEZTdUchmNk.


Green’s interview is the second Investor Insights video. The service debuted last week with an interview with renowned investor Jason Ader, which can be viewed at https://youtu.be/-lWIUc40DPQ.


Investor Insights completes the portfolio of Insights video interviews - each offering a special perspective to investors and gaming executives.


OTHER INSIGHTS VIDEO INTERVIEWS

CEO Insights, sponsored by International Game Technology features CEOs of leading gaming companies offering outlooks of their companies and for the industry. These interviews are posted at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/ceo-insights.html

Emerging Insights, sponsored by Everi Holdings, features CEOs of emerging companies and examines up-and-coming trends and technologies. All of the videos can be seen at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/emerging-insights.html.

Public Policy Insights, co-presented with Spectrum Gaming and sponsored by Gaming Laboratories International, features leading regulators, legislators and others key to developing public policy for the gaming industry. These videos are at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/public-policy-insights.html.

 

For more information, contact Associate Publisher Ashley Diem at +1 302 730 3793 or ADiem@FantiniResearch.com.

LAS VEGAS (February 18, 2021) – Advanced technology for players, operators, and slot techs combines with a new compelling game library to create an out-of-this world experience in Aristocrat Gaming’s™ all-new cabinet, the MarsX™ Portrait.
 
The original MarsX™ was a breakthrough in cabinet design and instantly became a favorite of players and operators alike. Now, with the MarsX Portrait, Aristocrat has created a new picture of innovation.

Advanced technology
MarsX Portrait boasts a wealth of advanced technology that creates a more intuitive and fun gaming experience. Gen9 components drive MarsX Portrait’s ability to spin fast, and the action plays out on the 43” curved ultra high-definition monitor, tall enough to allow for exciting growing reels action. And while the action may be hot, the MarsX Portrait never is, thanks to a specially designed chimney that redirects heat quietly away from both the player and critical components.
 
Technology for players
MarsX Portrait gives players an experience they have been craving. The curved screen is a 4k display capable of showing 16.7 billon colors for unsurpassed visuals. Sight meets sound with MarsX Portrait’s 4.1 Spatial KineticSound that creates a perfect soundscape for every game’s unique journey. A virtual button deck has a dynamic bash button and wireless USB charging. Players will also love the portrait’s game action, including growing reels, Cash on Reels, Hold & Spin, and multiple jackpot levels.
 
Technology for operators and slot techs
Operators and slot floor staff will appreciate MarsX Portrait’s super hi-def toppers and vibrant wedges that create visual destinations and attract players. Slot techs will love several innovations that are a dramatic leap forward in cabinet design. The virtual button desk is constructed of Corning’s Gorilla Glass® for a near indestructible quality, and the bash button design allows for quick and easy in-field replacement. The front door is positioned on hydraulic hinges, a patented electro-mechanical latch provides greater security with an embedded optic coupler, and a secondary power switch is located on the front of the cabinet door. MarsX Portrait addresses BVs and printers with dedicated cash drop doors, and a pop-up track for ticket printers.
 
Innovative new game library
Aristocrat created a new games library specifically for the MarsX Portrait, leading with three new game families. The Cash Across™ family was created for core players who thrill to the excitement of big wins, reel expansion, and jackpot potential. Launch titles are Horses of Helios™ and Savanna Lion™.
 
The player-favorite Fu Dai Lian Lian™ gets an added persistent boost mode to enhance the fun in FU DAI LIAN LIAN BOOST PEACOCK™ and FU DAI LIAN LIAN BOOST TIGER™.
 
The fun and excitement is tripled in the new Triple Grand Fortunes™ family of games with game titles Triple Grand Fortunes™ Fu Grand™, Triple Grand Fortunes™ Lu Grand™, and Triple Grand Fortunes™ Shou Grand™.
 

Dazzling Merchandising Package for Company’s Orion Portrait™ Cabinet Offers Operators Affordable Premium Package that Adds Dramatic Attraction and Game Immersion
 

LAS VEGAS – February 18, 2021 – AGS’ Starwall x Orion (“Starwall”) immersive video canvas reached a milestone this month, surpassing 350 games at 55 casinos across North America, delivering an affordable, premium integrated merchandising solution and Starwall-specific game content for the Company’s high-performing Orion Portrait slot cabinet.
 

AGS started taking orders for the Starwall in the spring 2020, and despite the global pandemic, the product has consistently performed above expectations and has won two innovation awards – the Silver Medal for ‘Best Slot Product’ in the 2019 Gaming & Technology Awards, and the Gold Award in the ‘Top 20 Most Innovative Gaming Technology Awards 2020’.
 

AGS Senior Vice President of Sales Adam Whitehurst said, “The Starwall is an absolute showstopper, recognized by operators for its ability to activate just about any area of a casino floor with its vibrancy, its game synchronization, and its ability to deliver a theater-like experience to players. Whether it is installed in the middle of a casino or along a wall, the Starwall illuminates the casino floor.”
 

A first-of-its kind, the Starwall combines hundreds of direct-view LED tiles to create a seamless video backdrop measuring 8 ½-feet wide by 8 ½-feet deep. Fitting sleekly and securely with three-packs and six-packs of premium Orion Portrait games, the Starwall adds attraction through high-impact motion graphics and celebratory animations complementary to the game theme.
 

AGS launched the Starwall in Class III and Class II markets with its new 88 Tian Lun™ family – starting with Jade Wins Deluxe® and Golden Wins Deluxe®. The game titles offer the same proven player-favorite features that have made the classic Jade Wins® and Golden Wins® casino-floor top performers, while adding a thrilling bonus wheel.
 

And the Company is developing a robust library of follow-on Starwall titles, including new 88 Tian Lun titles Grand Ox Wins™ and Piggy Wins™, followed by Lucky Panda™ and Phoenix Magic™. Another new family, Golden Dragons™, will debut later this year, featuring AGS’ first player-selectable multi-denomination games.
 

Whitehurst said, “We are excited about the early Starwall performance and are confident that this is just the beginning of the potential for this product, with a strong lineup of new follow-on game titles and our development team’s focus on adding even more immersion and interaction with game-play from both a visual and audio perspective.”

LONDON – Feb. 17, 2021 – International Game Technology PLC (“IGT”) (NYSE:IGT) announced today that its omnichannel Powerbucks^® Slots awarded back-to-back life-changing jackpots in January. Within hours of each other, two lucky online slots players won a combined total of more than CA$2.5 million in top prizes playing Wheel of Fortune_® Exotic Far East on Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s OLG.ca.

On Jan. 20, the first online Powerbucks slots player won CA$1,582,205 and a few hours later, another player hit the jackpot for CA$1,002,272.

“These back-to-back jackpot wins are unprecedented for IGT’s Powerbucks link, and the fact that these two players won playing the same game in the same online casino adds to the excitement,” said David Flinn, IGT Regional Vice President Canada, South and Central America. “Since going live in Ontario a little over a year ago, IGT’s award-winning Powerbucks link has awarded six million-dollar-plus jackpots to OLG.ca players. As the world’s first omnichannel wide area progressive game, Powerbucks continues to engage online players, build significant jackpot liquidity and deliver big wins to players throughout Canada.”

 

“It’s thrilling for us to be able to say OLG.ca players have won many prizes including these life-changing jackpots with IGT’s Powerbucks progressive,” said Wilma Chan, OLG Vice President of Product Management. “As Ontario’s only regulated online casino, we are proud OLG.ca offers a wide range of exciting games with industry leading customer processes such as play limits, where all proceeds benefit Ontario.”

IGT’s Powerbucks links the jackpot prize pool between gaming machines found in casinos with games available on mobile devices and desktop computers. Powerbucks slots has paid 24 jackpots of $1 million or more since its Canadian debut in 2016.

Seamless integration with IGTPay™ funding gateway offers players secure access to bank accounts for online, mobile, and land-based cashless gaming

LONDON – Feb. 16, 2021 – International Game Technology PLC (IGT) (NYSE: IGT)
announced that its subsidiary, IGT Global Solutions Corporation (“IGT”), has extended its
agreement with supplier Global Payments Gaming Solutions (“Global Payments”) to continue
enabling guaranteed Automated Clearing House (ACH) bank funds transfers through seamless
integration with IGT’s proprietary IGTPay™ payment gateway. The agreement extends IGT’s
previous agreement with Global Payments to a minimum term of five years.

Once a player registers with Global Payments’ VIP Preferred® service via IGTPay, they can
transfer funds digitally between their bank account and Cashless Wagering Account in a single
step, without having to enter their information for each transaction.

“Our solutions drive industry-leading gaming experiences,” said Christopher Justice,
president, Global Payments Gaming Solutions. “This agreement enables IGT to access our
VIP Preferred network, the industry’s premier way to provide gaming patrons easy and
convenient access to funding via bank accounts, providing a seamless and frictionless way to
access cash for gaming. More than 3.5 million patrons rely on Global Payments’ VIP Preferred
for simple, secure, and responsible play.”

“Players are more likely to embrace cashless technology when the experience is simple,
convenient, and offers a wide range of funding sources, including direct, secure access to their
bank accounts,” said Ryan Reddy, IGT Vice President, VLT, Systems and Payments
Products. “As cashless adoption continues to grow in the gaming industry, we’re proud to offer
Global Payments’ trusted and proven service to our customers and their patrons as an
integrated feature of our proprietary IGTPay funding gateway.”

Global Payments, which processes approximately $5 billion in transactions each year, provides
IGT with one of four types of funding sources available to players through the IGTPay gateway.
In addition to bank account access, players can also access credit card, debit card, and eWallet
accounts to fund their Cashless Wagering Accounts. The IGTPay solution can include support
from IGT’s experienced Payments team, which provides all aspects of payment-related
services.

IGT’s relationship with Global Payments began in 2016 as a digital funding transfer method for
IGT’s iLottery product offering. The relationship expanded in 2018 through its integration with
the IGTPay online payment gateway for its digital PlayLottery offering and has since expanded
across IGT’s digital verticals. It is now also available for land-based cashless gaming through
IGT’s turnkey Resort Wallet™ product suite, part of the IGT ADVANTAGE® casino management
system product family.

IGT’s Resort Wallet solution offers two flexible variations of IGT’s cashless offering for landbased casinos: cardless and carded. The player’s PIN-protected Cashless Wagering Account
can fund both variations either digitally through bank accounts, credit cards, debit cards, and
eWallets via IGTPay, or through cash deposits at the casino cashier, kiosks and slot machines.
With Resort Wallet cardless cashless, players use a mobile app to access their Cashless
Wagering Account, tap their smartphone on a slot machine to card in, and transfer funds
electronically to the game. For carded cashless, players use a loyalty club card to access their
Cashless Wagering Account, insert their card into a slot machine, and transfer the funds into the
game. Funds in the Cashless Wagering Account are securely maintained for the next play
session or property visit, and players can also transfer funds between slot machines onsite, as
well as between a casino’s other properties.

For more information, visit igt.com/cashless. Follow IGT on Facebook at facebook.com/IGT,
follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/IGTnews, or watch IGT videos on YouTube at
youtube.com/igt.

 

About IGT
IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We deliver entertaining and responsible gaming
experiences for players across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines
and Lotteries to Sports Betting and Digital. Leveraging a wealth of compelling content,
substantial investment in innovation, player insights, operational expertise, and leading-edge
technology, our solutions deliver unrivaled gaming experiences that engage players and drive
growth. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and
regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the
highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has approximately 11,000
employees. For more information, please visit www.igt.com.

About Global Payments Gaming Solutions
Global Payments Gaming Solutions, a division of Global Payments (NYSE: GPN), enables the
world’s gaming entertainment leaders to create amazing consumer experiences and maximize
spend across all of their physical and digital properties. Their complete suite of payment
solutions enables safe, secure and trusted cash access at the cage, on the casino floor, or
online. Learn more at www.globalpaymentsgaming.com.

?

Facilities management extension includes ongoing delivery of draw-based and instant tickets system, lottery terminals, and associated services

Fantini Research adds to the Insights video series with launch of Investor Insights, sponsored by Global Payments Gaming Solutions and Jason Ader as first interviewee.

NEWS RELEASE - February 11, 2021

Renowned investor Jason Ader of SpringOwl Asset Management inaugurates Investor Insights, the latest addition to Fantini Research’s portfolio of Insights video interviews focused on the gaming industry.

In his 20-minute interview, Ader discusses his highly successful approach to investing, his new SPAC, 26 Capital Acquisition, the SPAC phenomenon itself and his best investment ideas in gaming.

Investor Insights is sponsored by Global Payments Gaming Solutions, a division of Global Payments Inc.

“The heart of Fantini Research has always been serving investors, and it is appropriate that we inaugurate Investor Insights with one of the most successful value investors of our generation,” Fantini Research CEO Frank Fantini said.

“We are also proud to welcome Global Payments Gaming Solutions as a sponsor. As Jason says in his interview, payments is a growth industry, and we recognize Global Payments as a leader in that space,” Fantini said.

“High-quality investment opportunities play an important role in inherently moving the gaming industry forward,” said Christopher Justice, president, Global Payments Gaming Solutions. “As a trusted market leader, Global Payments is always pleased to work with Fantini to help identify investment opportunities to benefit the industry’s leaders, regulators and legislators and advance the industry. We are proud to co-sponsor Fantini’s Investor Insights series, kicking off with Jason Ader, a renowned investor and former Wall Street Analyst at SpringOwl.”

Ader’s interview is the first for Investor Insights in which accomplished investors present their best ideas. “We expect Investor Insights will become an important service to investors,” Fantini said.

Ader’s interview can be viewed at https://youtu.be/-lWIUc40DPQ.


Other Insights interviews and links to them:

CEO Insights. Conversations with CEOs of major gaming companies at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/ceo-insights.html. CEO Insights is sponsored by International Game Technology.

Emerging Insights. CEOs discuss emerging companies and trends and technologies at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/emerging-insights.html. Emerging Insights is sponsored by Everi Holdings.

Public Policy Insights is co-presented with Spectrum Gaming. Industry leaders, regulators and key legislators discuss emerging legislation and regulation in gaming. Public Policy Insights is sponsored by Gaming Laboratories International. Interviews can be viewed at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/public-policy-insights.html.



About Fantini Research
Fantini Research publishes newsletters and provides research services for C-level executives, institutional investors and legal and regulatory professionals in the global gaming industry. The flagship product is the daily Fantini’s Gaming Report, the industry’s standard source of comprehensive and timely news and analysis. Fantini’s Public Policy Review is the legal journal of the gaming industry providing news and analysis of legislative, legal and regulatory developments. It is published every Monday and with real-time bulletins as events happen. Other publications include the monthly Fantini’s National Revenue Report, a monthly compilation and analysis of US gaming revenues and trends; and, in partnership with Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, the EILERS-FANTINI Quarterly Slot Survey, and the EILERS-FANTINI Game Performance Report, which is a monthly report on slot performance; and the Fifth Third-Fantini Distributed Gaming Report. Fantini Research also performs research services for gaming companies and investors. Visit the website at www.FantiniResearch.com.
For additional information, call Associate Publisher Ashley Diem at +1 302 730 3793 or email ADiem@FantiniResearch.com.

About Global Payments Gaming

Global Payments Gaming Solutions, a division of Global Payments, enables the world’s gaming entertainment leaders to create amazing consumer experiences and maximize spend across all of their physical and digital properties. Our complete suite of payment solutions enables safe, secure and trusted cash access at the cage, on the casino floor, or online. Learn more at www.GlobalPaymentsGaming.com.?

Partnership with Exacta Systems creates IGT growth opportunity, elevates gaming in Commonwealth

LAS VEGAS (February 9, 2021) – Fantini Research and Spectrum Gaming Group are delighted to welcome Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) as sponsor of Public Policy Insights, the leading series of video interviews addressing important, emerging issues affecting the US gaming industry.

“The heart of public policy in gaming is integrity. GLI is the industry leader in assuring integrity of products and services through its testing and certifications programs worldwide. Their participation with Public Policy Insights will help us all advance the cause of providing vital and timely information and understanding to industry leaders, regulators and legislators throughout the country,” Fantini Research CEO Frank Fantini said.

“We have long worked with GLI and its team of industry-leading professionals and having GLI’s support for this endeavor will go a long way toward advancing our collective goal of promoting best practices in public policy,” said Spectrum Managing Director Michael Pollock.

“In this changing time for gaming and the world, regulators, suppliers, and operators are exploring new platforms and technologies. GLI works hard to inform and advise on new gaming regulation and opportunities. We are proud to partner with Fantini Research and Spectrum Gaming Group to help bring the most current, valuable knowledge and data to policy-makers and to the gaming industry to help them navigate the future with confidence,” said Kevin Mullally, Vice President of Government Relations & General Counsel at GLI.

Public Policy Insights was launched by Fantini Research and Spectrum Gaming in January with a series of video interviews looking into the legislative and regulatory outlook for this year.

The videos can be viewed at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/public-policy-insights.html.


Public Policy Insights joins CEO Insights and Emerging Insights produced by Fantini Research. CEO Insights features industry leaders discussing the outlooks for their companies and for the gaming industry. Emerging insights features CEOs introducing emerging companies and discussing up and coming industry trends. These videos can be viewed at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/ceo-insights.html and https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/emerging-insights.html.

CEO Insights is sponsored by IGT and Emerging Insights is sponsored by Everi Holdings.

For a free trial to Fantini Research’s Public Policy Review, a weekly online publication providing a comprehensive summary and analysis of gaming legislation in all 50 states and Congress, and legal and regulatory issues in gaming, contact Stephanie Creech at SCreech@FantiniResearch.com.



About Fantini Research
Fantini Research publishes newsletters and provides research services for C-level executives, institutional investors and legal and regulatory professionals in the global gaming industry. The flagship product is the daily Fantini’s Gaming Report, the industry’s standard source of comprehensive and timely news and analysis. Fantini’s Public Policy Review is the legal journal of the gaming industry providing news and analysis of legislative, legal and regulatory developments. It is published every Monday and with real-time bulletins as events happen. Other publications include the monthly Fantini’s National Revenue Report, a monthly compilation and analysis of US gaming revenues and trends; and, in partnership with Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, the EILERS-FANTINI Quarterly Slot Survey, and the EILERS-FANTINI Game Performance Report, which is a monthly report on slot performance; and the Fifth Third-Fantini Distributed Gaming Report. Fantini Research also performs research services for gaming companies and investors. Visit the website at www.FantiniResearch.com.
For additional information, call Associate Publisher Ashley Diem at +1 302 730 3793 or email ADiem@FantiniResearch.com.

About Spectrum Gaming Group

Spectrum Gaming Group has consulted for gaming operators, regulators, and legislatures in 40 US states and territories and in 48 countries on six continents. Spectrum’s clients include 22 US state and territory governments, six national governments, 22 Native American entities, numerous gaming companies (national and international) of all sizes, suppliers, lotteries, financial institutions, developers, and other gaming-related entities. Spectrum also serves as Executive Director of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States. More information is available at www.SpectrumGaming.com.




About Gaming Laboratories International

Gaming Laboratories International, LLC is committed to delivering the highest quality land-based, lottery, and iGaming testing and assessment services around the world. GLI provides suppliers, operators, and regulators with expert guidance for navigating the future of gaming and ensuring gaming innovations meet regulatory standards with confidence. Since 1989, GLI has certified nearly two million items and has tested equipment for more than 480 jurisdictions. GLI has a global network of laboratory locations across six continents, with U.S. and international accreditations for compliance with ISO/IEC standards for technical competence in the gaming, wagering and lottery industries. GLI was named “Responsible Business of the Year” by Global Gaming Awards in 2019 for its social responsibility in charitable giving, diversity and inclusion, green initiatives, and responsible gaming support and education. For more information, visit gaminglabs.com.

FANTINI RESEARCH and SPECTRUM GAMING

PRESS RELEASE February 10, 2021


Public Policy Insights

Interviews with Public Policy Leaders in Gaming


MILLER BULLISH ON 2021

“Resilient and committed,” is how American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller describes the current state of the gaming industry in his Public Policy Insights video interview with Frank Fantini.

Miller also discusses several positives moving forward, including new priorities involving gaming by the new Biden administration, increasing COVID vaccine distribution and progress on raising the federal tax withholding threshold on player slot win.

Also discussed are the AGA’s efforts to support business and convention travel in the wake of COVID.

See Miller’s interview at https://youtu.be/dxAb7YsfyOs.

Public Policy Insights is co-produced with Spectrum Gaming and sponsored by Gaming Laboratories International. The series of
one-on-one interviews with public policy leaders is focused on legislative and
regulatory issues facing the gaming industry.

All Public Policy Insights? are at
https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/public-policy-insights.html.

Previously released in the series are those with Michael Pollock, managing director of Spectrum Gaming, Laura Briggs, director of public policy at Fantini Research and NCLGS President and Nevada State Sen. Keith Pickard.

Other Insights series:

CEO Insights?, sponsored by IGT:
https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/ceo-insights.html

Emerging Insights?, sponsored by Everi Holdings:
https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/emerging-insights.html

Questions about any of the video series can be addressed to Associate Publisher Ashley Diem at ADiem@FantiniResearch.com or at +1 302 730 3793.

GAN delivers uninterrupted technical performance with over 14 million bets processed on the day of Super Bowl LV and secures $3 million patent license revenue.

GAN Limited (the "Company" or "GAN") (NASDAQ: GAN), a leading full-service internet gaming software-as-a-service provider to the real money internet gaming and online sports betting industries, today announced that it delivered an all-time record 14.6 million settled online bets the day of Super Bowl LV, up 186% vs. last year’s event. Additionally, the Company reached an agreement with current customer Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment, Inc., trading as ‘Parx Casino’ ("Parx Casino" or "the Client"), to license GAN’s patented iBridge integration framework for 10 years.

Reflecting the strength and value of GAN’s intellectual property ("IP"), the agreement calls for Parx Casino to pay a total licensing fee of $3 million and implies a patent license of roughly $75 per reward card, validating a ‘per unit’ value of the patent. GAN has also agreed to amend its existing contract with Parx Casino, and will release the Client from exclusivity moving forward.

Dermot Smurfit, Chief Executive Officer of GAN commented: "GAN delivered uninterrupted performance for all our U.S. clients during Super Bowl LV, just as we did last year and the year before that. Yesterday, we experienced record all-time transaction volumes before, during and after the Super Bowl and look forward to leveraging the experience, technical data and knowhow to prepare for next year’s technical onslaught which we expect will see Super Bowl betting on GAN’s Platform taking place across perhaps more than a dozen States simultaneously. We’ve started the year with strong business and financial momentum and this patent licensing deal further validates our industry leading IP and sets a new bar for its value per reward card. Since we deployed our patented functionality in the U.S. for online gaming, those online customers who have linked their retail gaming loyalty cards to their counterpart online gambling accounts have generated in excess of 160% more Gross Gaming Revenue (online casino) and 140% more Gross Sports Win (from online sports betting) as compared to those customers who have not linked a loyalty card to their online gambling account. These results demonstrate not only the direct value of our technology and IP, but also the ‘stickiness’ of GAN’s platform to our customers."

United States Reward Card Opportunity

There are a reported 80 million unique American adults who regularly frequent casinos for retail gaming and who together possess 150 million individual Reward cards offered by more than 1,000 retail casino gaming properties located in 48 States. Certain major U.S. casino operator groups have tens of millions of card-carrying retail gaming patrons within their casino patron databases. These patron databases are frequently cited as a competitive advantage supporting the same retail casino operators’ launch of internet sports betting and/or casino gaming.

Dermot Smurfit concluded: "This is the second time GAN has licensed its patented iBridge Framework on a standalone basis and we believe the opportunity to leverage our intellectual property here in the U.S. remains large. We continue to be engaged in numerous conversations with both large and small casino-operators to partner with GAN in order to seamlessly connect their loyal reward-card carrying customers to their various online offerings. As a result, we believe we are on track to license our iBridge patent to additional U.S. casino operator groups in 2021 and throughout the patent’s remaining 13-year duration, which should help us drive long-term value for our shareholders."

NEWS RELEASE - February 9, 2021

Fantini Research and Spectrum Gaming Group are delighted to welcome Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) as sponsor of Public Policy Insights, the leading series of video interviews addressing important, emerging issues affecting the US gaming industry.

“The heart of public policy in gaming is integrity. GLI is the industry leader in assuring integrity of products and services through its testing and certifications programs worldwide. Their participation with Public Policy Insights will help us all advance the cause of providing vital and timely information and understanding to industry leaders, regulators and legislators throughout the country,” Fantini Research CEO Frank Fantini said.

“We have long worked with GLI and its team of industry-leading professionals and having GLI’s support for this endeavor will go a long way toward advancing our collective goal of promoting best practices in public policy,” said Spectrum Managing Director Michael Pollock.

“In this changing time for gaming and the world, regulators, suppliers, and operators are exploring new platforms and technologies. GLI works hard to inform and advise on new gaming regulation and opportunities. We are proud to partner with Fantini Research and Spectrum Gaming Group to help bring the most current, valuable knowledge and data to policy-makers and to the gaming industry to help them navigate the future with confidence,” said Kevin Mullally, Vice President of Government Relations & General Counsel at GLI.

Public Policy Insights was launched by Fantini Research and Spectrum Gaming in January with a series of video interviews looking into the legislative and regulatory outlook for this year.

The videos can be viewed at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/public-policy-insights.html.


Public Policy Insights joins CEO Insights and Emerging Insights produced by Fantini Research. CEO Insights features industry leaders discussing the outlooks for their companies and for the gaming industry. Emerging insights features CEOs introducing emerging companies and discussing up and coming industry trends. These videos can be viewed at https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/ceo-insights.html and https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions/emerging-insights.html.

CEO Insights is sponsored by IGT and Emerging Insights is sponsored by Everi Holdings.

For a free trial to Fantini Research’s Public Policy Review, a weekly online publication providing a comprehensive summary and analysis of gaming legislation in all 50 states and Congress, and legal and regulatory issues in gaming, contact Stephanie Creech at SCreech@FantiniResearch.com.



About Fantini Research
Fantini Research publishes newsletters and provides research services for C-level executives, institutional investors and legal and regulatory professionals in the global gaming industry. The flagship product is the daily Fantini’s Gaming Report, the industry’s standard source of comprehensive and timely news and analysis. Fantini’s Public Policy Review is the legal journal of the gaming industry providing news and analysis of legislative, legal and regulatory developments. It is published every Monday and with real-time bulletins as events happen. Other publications include the monthly Fantini’s National Revenue Report, a monthly compilation and analysis of US gaming revenues and trends; and, in partnership with Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, the EILERS-FANTINI Quarterly Slot Survey, and the EILERS-FANTINI Game Performance Report, which is a monthly report on slot performance; and the Fifth Third-Fantini Distributed Gaming Report. Fantini Research also performs research services for gaming companies and investors. Visit the website at www.FantiniResearch.com.
For additional information, call Associate Publisher Ashley Diem at +1 302 730 3793 or email ADiem@FantiniResearch.com.

About Spectrum Gaming Group

Spectrum Gaming Group has consulted for gaming operators, regulators, and legislatures in 40 US states and territories and in 48 countries on six continents. Spectrum’s clients include 22 US state and territory governments, six national governments, 22 Native American entities, numerous gaming companies (national and international) of all sizes, suppliers, lotteries, financial institutions, developers, and other gaming-related entities. Spectrum also serves as Executive Director of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States. More information is available at www.SpectrumGaming.com.




About Gaming Laboratories International

Gaming Laboratories International, LLC is committed to delivering the highest quality land-based, lottery, and iGaming testing and assessment services around the world. GLI provides suppliers, operators, and regulators with expert guidance for navigating the future of gaming and ensuring gaming innovations meet regulatory standards with confidence. Since 1989, GLI has certified nearly two million items and has tested equipment for more than 480 jurisdictions. GLI has a global network of laboratory locations across six continents, with U.S. and international accreditations for compliance with ISO/IEC standards for technical competence in the gaming, wagering and lottery industries. GLI was named “Responsible Business of the Year” by Global Gaming Awards in 2019 for its social responsibility in charitable giving, diversity and inclusion, green initiatives, and responsible gaming support and education. For more information, visit gaminglabs.com.