Instant tickets sales strong

TORONTO, Ontario – As reported by the Globe and Mail: "The Internet and other technologies show no sign of undermining the 'terrifically healthy' scratch-and-win lottery business, the boss of a major ticket producer says.

"Online gambling attracts a different clientele — a few people betting sizable amounts, as opposed to the many who buy lottery tickets for $5 or less — John Pollard, co-CEO of Pollard Banknote Income Fund, told an investor conference Wednesday.

"Growth in North American instant-ticket lotteries was about nine per cent last year, building on an expansion that has consistently averaged eight per cent or more annually for the past decade, said Pollard, whose family controls the century-old enterprise.

"…Meanwhile, Pollard Banknote, which recently won a 10-year contract with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., sees tremendous growth still to be realized in the scratch-and-win business, he said, as lottery operators drive up per-capita sales, partly by offering higher-priced tickets and by raising the proportions of sales that return to players as winnings…"