A competitive procurement process has seen Winnipeg-headquartered, Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL), awarded a six-year contract to provide instant ticket warehousing and distribution services to the Arizona Lottery.

The leading supplier of instant tickets began fulfilling its obligation on February 14 of this year. The new contract will end on the 30th day of August 2026.

According to the official press release

Longstanding client:

The Canadian company has been providing instant ticket printing and production services to the Lottery for more than 20 years and in 2010 was the recipient of the first contract for pull-tab ticket warehouse and distribution services in Arizona.

Pollard will, under the terms of the new contract, operate a distribution center and an instant ticket warehouse for the Lottery. The agreement includes providing telemarketing services, the management and storage of inventory, order fulfillment, distribution to retailers, along with marketing support to promote sales growth and exemplary retail.

Consolidation for improved efficiency:

In order to bolster efficiency, services for distribution and instant ticket warehousing will be combined under the new contract and upon the expiration of the existing pull-tab agreement, according to the news release.

SureTrack solution:

The Lottery’s instant ticket inventory will be managed by Pollard Banknote, which will employ its state-of-the-art, proprietary SureTrack™ Lottery Management System. The web-based, turnkey solution [SureTrack] utilizes a range of flexible tools for the purpose of:

  • Effective inventory control and management
  • Forecasting
  • Ordering
  • Distribution
  • Validation
  • Reporting to support lottery goals for sales and retail expansion

The company’s SureTrack™ technology solution has been in place in various lotteries worldwide for 18 years.

Commenting on the new contract, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Pollard, Brad Thompson, said…

“Pollard Banknote is thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with a long-standing client like the Arizona Lottery in a new capacity to deliver instant ticket warehousing and distribution services.

“We have worked diligently to develop a modern and sophisticated lottery management solution that offers outstanding operational support. We look forward to implementing this solution for the Arizona Lottery, and we are confident that it will play an important role in our holistic approach to helping the Lottery drive sales of pull-tabs and instant tickets.”

For its part, Arizona Lottery Executive Director, Gregg Edgar, said…

“At the Arizona Lottery, our mission is to maximize net revenues in a responsible manner to support programs that benefit Arizona communities.

“Over the course of our more than 20-year long relationship, Pollard Banknote has demonstrated a keen ability to provide quality products and services that help us deliver on our mission. We are confident that Pollard Banknote is the right partner to help us take our sales to new heights by providing instant ticket warehousing and distribution services.”

Where the $$$$ goes:

The Arizona Lottery recently introduced its new-look $2 Bonus Ball Bingo ticket, which has the same top prize of $10,000 as the classic $2 Bingo Scratchers? ticket, but with the added bonus Bingo balls.

In the fiscal year 2018, beneficiaries in communities within the southwestern U.S. state received $212.7 million courtesy of the Lottery. Proceeds from ticket sales go to organizations and programs that help Arizona’s communities in four key areas, including higher education, health and human services, economic and business development and the environment.