INTRALOT AND THE NEBRASKA LOTTERY TAKE A “DIGITAL” APPROACH TO DIGITAL SIGNAGE BENEFITING RETAILERS AND REACHING CONSUMERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 25, 2009

Cutting edge digital advertising is about to join investment strategy, athletics, and medical research on the list of hot topics that Nebraska brings to the nation.

The Nebraska Lottery and its on-line network provider, INTRALOT, are working with display provider Blast Panel on a digital media pilot that will change the way advertisers and retailers reach consumers, whether in the Heartland or on the coast.

The pilot involves a new digital signage program for qualifying lottery retailers. INTRALOT service technicians have recently installed 32” high-definition, LCD screens (referred to as Blast Panels) at select locations in Omaha and Lincoln to determine how much this new technology can help the retailers increase sales of Lottery and other branded products.

“We hear about economic downturn everywhere, and now more than ever, consumers looking for greater value want promotions and incentives when making purchases. This pilot was created to provide a new channel for marketing and promoting Lottery and retail products at the point of purchase. Measuring the effect of these point of purchase promotions and incentives will be key to the success of this pilot,” says INTRALOT’s VP of Marketing, John Pittman. “The monitors will also display retailer specials, news, weather and other public service announcements and provide the Lottery and its Retailers with the opportunity to generate additional monetary benefits outside of lottery sales. We have been utilizing Player Advertising Displays for quite awhile, but these new Blast Panels will take that concept to a whole new level.”

Blast Panels display lottery information, advertising and retailer promotions to help give consumers relevant, targeted advertising at the point of sale. “Consumers only spend a short amount of time in the store so you’ve only got seconds to grab their attention—Blast Panels do that.” says Kirk Manz, CEO of Blast Panel. “We saw an opportunity to partner with INTRALOT and the Nebraska Lottery because a large part of their success is dependent on the retail channel. This digital signage pilot will give us insight into how to continuously make the sale with Nebraska lottery and retail customers.”

Digital media, from social networking to user-generated video and on-line gaming, are dramatically changing consumer interaction and consumption patterns, and present a wealth of opportunities for Lotteries. Stores are emerging as a viable alternative to the challenging mass-market advertising environment; they’ve quietly become a hotbed of advertising activity as more retailers test the effects of digital in-store media on shopper behavior.

ABOUT INTRALOT

INTRALOT, a public listed company, a leading supplier of integrated gaming and transaction processing systems, innovative game content and sports betting management, to state-licensed gaming organizations worldwide. Its broad portfolio of products & services, its know-how of Lottery, Betting & Video Lottery operations and its leading-edge technology, give INTRALOT a competitive advantage which contributes directly to customers’ efficiency, profitability and growth. With presence in more than 50 countries, with 5,000 people and revenues of $1.45 billion (€1.1 billion) for 2008, INTRALOT has established its presence on all 5 continents.

For more information:
Ms. Persa Kartsoli, Head of Corporate Affairs, Phone: +30-210 6156000, Fax: +30-210 6106800, email: kartsoli@intralot.com – www.intralot.com

ABOUT the Nebraska Lottery

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $349 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.
About Blast Panel

ABOUT Blast Panel

Delivering vibrant, engaging, high-definition content and advertising, Blast Panel is an exciting reinvention of point of purchase marketing (”POP”). At no cost to qualifying retailers, Blast Panel provides vertically-oriented, 32” LCD displays, professionally installed in prominent locations at retail outlets designated by the Lottery.

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BLAST PANEL ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH MTV NETWORK’S CMT SUBSIDIARY TO PROVIDE HI-TECH CONTENT TO COUNTRY AND WESTERN VENUES NATIONWIDE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 1, 2008

Nashville -– Today, Blast Panel, LLC, an innovator in the digital signage industry, announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Country Music Television (CMT), an MTV Networks subsidiary, to distribute unique CMT content to select country and western venues nationwide. In addition, the agreement enables Blast Panel to distribute CMT content to other types of venues who wish to display country music related news and entertainment.

Says Stephen Davis, EVP of Business Development of Blast Panel, “We’re excited about working with CMT’s digital media group. CMT is on the cutting edge of distributing content in unique and creative ways, making them a perfect match for Blast Panel’s innovative digital delivery platform. The partnership with Blast Panel will both enhance CMT’s brand and expand CMT’s audience by providing high quality content for viewers in out-of-home environments.”

Says Stephen Linn, Director of Marketing for CMT Digital Media, “Country music is as much about lifestyle as it is about music and we want to make sure CMT is wherever fans are helping them celebrate all of that.. We’re excited about our partnership with Blast Panel because it lets us provide everything from CMT music to news in front of country fans where they live and play.”

Blast Panel will offer CMT content in designated venues beginning in late 2008.

ABOUT CMT | CMT, a unit of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 87 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network’s digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.

ABOUT Blast Panel | Blast Panel delivers high definition media, compelling advertising, real-time data, and dynamic content to remote digital screens via a proprietary IP based network architecture. For more information, go to www.blastpanel.com.

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GMD HOLDINGS, LLC AND BLAST PANEL, LLC ANNOUNCE MERGER; PRINCIPLES SAY INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY WILL REVOLUTIONIZE HD MEDIA DELIVERY IN THE FAST GROWING DIGITAL SIGNAGE INDUSTRY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 1, 2008

Nashville, TN – Today, Blast Panel, LLC announced its merger with GMD Holdings, LLC. Private Capital Group, a Nashville based boutique investment-banking firm, served as financial advisor for the transaction.

GMD Holdings, LLC formed in August 2008 with a seed infusion by Easy Street Investments (Seattle, Washington). The strategic merger taps the management experience and capital of GMD and leverages the market opportunity of Blast Panel to provide high definition media, compelling advertising, real-time data, and dynamic content to remote digital signs, also known as “blast panels.” In addition, GMD has announced an exclusive licensing deal with Screentopia to utilize their proprietary network architecture to power the Blast Panel application.

Going forward, GMD Holdings, LLC will do business as Blast Panel. Kirk Manz, former managing director of Private Capital Group and CEO of Blast Panel says, “We are thrilled to launch Blast Panel with the start up capital from Easy Street Investments—we couldn’t have asked for a better
financial partner.”

Joe Moore, CTO of Blast Panel says, “Apple’s combination of the iTunes software and the iPod player provides the music industry with a simple, attractive platform. Similarly, Blast Panel’s integrated software, hardware, and network solution makes complex digital signage technology simple to manage and stimulating to watch.”

Blast Panel’s experienced team has been assembled from the staff of Private Capital Group and Screentopia:
CEO | Kirk Manz, former managing director, Private Capital Group, LLC
CTO | Joseph Moore, president of Screentopia, LLC
COO | Ward Davis, founder Blast Panel, LLC
Also taking management roles are Screentopia’s Stephen Davis as Executive Vice President.

Says Ward Davis, founder of Blast Panel, “Bringing the people and assets of Blast Panel, Screentopia and Private Capital under one roof makes strategic sense. This is a case where the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.”

Blast Panel’s offices are located in the award-winning historic Braid Electric Building in the revitalized Gulch area of Nashville, Tennessee.

ABOUT Blast Panel | Blast Panel delivers high definition media, compelling advertising, real-time data, and dynamic content to remote digital screens via a proprietary IP based network architecture.
ABOUT Screentopia, LLC | Screentopia develops and licenses a patent-pending client-server network enabling push delivery of content and advertising. Screentopia’s principals have overseen the remote management of tens of thousands of clients and the delivery of millions of advertising impressions.
Blast Panel has taken offices in the renovated and award-winning historic Braid Electric Building in the Gulch area of Nashville, Tennessee.