The Honourable Tom Marshall, Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, announced today that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will join with the Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission, the New Brunswick Lotteries Commission, and the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC), in issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a comprehensive review of the security and integrity of lottery operations in Atlantic Canada.

This broad-scope review will look at all lottery games operated by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), including ticket lottery, video lottery, Charitable Linked Bingo (where applicable), the Charlottetown Driving Park and Entertainment Centre (CDPEC) and Playsphere.

"In light of recent concerns expressed within the Canadian gaming industry regarding retailer wins, we are pleased to join with our Atlantic Canadian counterparts to undertake a comprehensive review that will ensure our Atlantic Lottery system is as fair, safe and secure as possible," said Minister Marshall.

The review will look at all lottery products at every key point along the creation, distribution and sales cycle. It will also extend to review controls in place at product suppliers, independent testing agencies, distribution agencies and retailers, among other things. The objective of the review is to ensure that lotteries in Atlantic Canada have the highest possible standards of security and integrity, and that the manner in which lotteries are delivered are free of opportunities for fraud or manipulation. The review will be comprehensive in nature and will determine if controls are in place to ensure that players receive the prizes due to them, prizes are as advertised, nothing can be done to influence the outcome of any game, and players have all the information necessary to make informed decisions.

"As a stakeholder in the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, we take upholding the integrity of the lotteries system very seriously," said Minister Marshall. "We look forward to a final report and will take the necessary steps to ensure our consumers are protected and public confidence in ALC products is maintained."

The formal RFP seeking an independent person or organization to conduct the security and integrity review of all areas of the lottery industry in Atlantic Canada was released on May 8. It is expected the review would be completed by year�s end.

-30-

2007 05 09                                         9:20 a.m.