Greek gaming firm Intralot has been selected as the new technology supplier to the Irish lottery.
The Athens-based company, founded by controversial Greek telecoms and gaming magnate Socrates Kokkalis, announced yesterday it had signed a 10-year contract with the new Irish operator, Premier Lotteries Ireland.
As part of the deal, it will supply the Irish franchise with a new network of ticket terminals as well as an overhaul of the operation’s central hardware and software system.
Although the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, the Greek firm is understood to be supplying the technology at a significantly cheaper rate than the existing arrangements.
Premier Lotteries recently justified its €405 million bid for the Irish licence, which was over €100 million more than any of its rivals, on the grounds that it had secured a better deal on the technology requirements.
Underbidder
The appointment of Intralot has serious implications for the current technology provider Gtech, the Italian- owned gaming company and underbidder in the process, whose contract expires at the end of the year.
The firm, which employs 70 staff at its Dublin base, declined to comment yesterday on what the development meant for its operation here.
In an exclusive interview with The Irish Times , Intralot said it had set up a new Irish subsidiary, Intralot Ireland, on foot of winning the contract. However, the company, which supplies technology to 56 state lotteries across the globe, said decisions on where its Irish operation was to be based or how many people would staff it had yet to be taken.
"We are delighted to announce our new contract in Ireland," the group's chief operating officer John Pantoleon said. "I am confident that our global experience and cutting-edge technology together with the operational capabilities of Premier Lotteries Ireland will yield excellent results for the benefit of Ireland and bring exciting gaming experiences to the Irish players."
Mr Pantoleon said the company would provide its own Lotos O/S gaming system for the operation and administration of the Irish lottery, as well as supplying the franchise’s retail network with more than 4,000 of its newly designed Photon ticket terminals.
Under the terms of the Government’s new 20-year licence, the operator is obliged to roll out a new technology platform within its first 18 months of taking over at the helm.
Premier Lotteries is expected to take over operational control early next year following a transitioning process which is already under way. Dermot Griffin, chief executive-designate of Premier Lotteries, said the company was looking forward to working with Intralot.
