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Idaho Lottery Celebrates 35 Years with Record Dividend to People of Idaho
During a community celebration at The Village in Meridian, the Idaho Lottery commemorated their record-breaking 35th Anniversary by returning the single largest dividend in their history to the people of Idaho. The Idaho Lottery Commission presented Governor Brad Little with an $84,000,000 dividend check, a 2.4% increase over last year’s dividend.
“In 1988, Idahoans voted at the ballot box and approved establishing a state lottery to benefit public education. The Lottery has been a success for players, and it has created economic opportunity for Idaho businesses. Most importantly, the Lottery team has contributed nearly $1.3 billion for the benefit of Idaho public schools and buildings,” Governor Brad Little said.
Historically, Idaho Lottery dividends have been used by school districts for building maintenance, repairs, and operational projects. A change in statute during the 2024 Legislative session changes how Lottery dividends are utilized by the State’s school districts.
“Idahoans who play the fun and entertaining games from the Idaho Lottery help build communities in Idaho. Today we are in the West Ada School District where last year’s dividends are being used by local builders and tradesmen to repair roofs, replace HVAC systems, and make school facilities more accessible. Today’s Idaho Lottery dividends will benefit future public school district facilities and provide property tax relief by paying down voter-approved bonds and levies,” said Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director.
Governor Little and Idaho Lottery Commission Chairman, Craig Corbett, awarded the largest single check ever from the Idaho Lottery to support public education in the Gem State. On behalf of Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction, Debbie Critchfield, the Department of Education’s Chief Financial Officer, Gideon Tolman, accepted a check for $52,500,000.
“The 35th anniversary of the Idaho Lottery is the perfect time to celebrate all the good it has done for Idaho’s public schools. For years, the lottery has helped support K-12 education and once again, on behalf of Idaho schools, I want to thank Idahoans for these additional resources that will continue to benefit public school operations in our state,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction, Debbie Critchfield.
Dale Reynolds, Chairman of the Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council, accepted a check for $31,500,000 on behalf of the State’s Permanent Building Fund. Permanent Building Fund dollars support maintenance and capital projects for State-owned facilities and Idaho’s public college and university buildings.
“Over the past 35 years, the Lottery has proven its resourcefulness and partnership by contributing well over half-a-billion dollars for Idaho’s state-owned facilities. Lottery revenue each year enables us to preserve our historical facilities, provide safe work environments for the Gem State’s employees, and improve the quality of Idaho’s collegiate campuses,” said Reynolds.
This year’s dividend comes after Idaho Lottery sales exceeded the $400 million threshold for the second consecutive year.
“This is all made possible with funds from the Idaho Lottery, not tax dollars,” added Anderson.
In addition to the dividend record, the Idaho Lottery also awarded a record amount to their network of over 1200 brick and mortar retail locations who earned $24.7 million in commissions.
Eagerly anticipated release now confirmed following a highly successful exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive
Play’n GO has today announced the official US release of its hit title Colt Lightning Firestorm, following a three-week period of exclusivity with Rush Street Interactive brands BetRivers and SugarHouse.
Colt Lightning Firestorm was released in Europe and other jurisdictions in May 2024, and its release in the US comes with much fanfare following the game’s rave reviews in its short exclusivity period. The game is a sequel to the wildly popular Colt Lightning game which was released early last year, and indications at this stage suggest that this sequel may prove even more successful.
This announcement sees Colt Lightning Firestorm available to players in each state and operator with whom Play’n GO is licensed. Play’n GO first entered the online casino market in the US in 2022, and has reiterated its commitment to becoming active in every regulated market around the world.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO said: “We’re excited to unveil Colt Lightning Firestorm to the wider online casino gaming community in the US, and have been very pleased to see its strong performance during its exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive. We had high hopes for the game following the success of its predecessor, and we’re confident that these robust results will continue now that the game is available to an even bigger audience.”
Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced plans to host two popular esports events in Singapore in 2024 and 2025.
BLAST will bring both world-class Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to the heart of Southeast Asia, marking a major step in Singapore’s emergence as an esports and gaming hub. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), these high-profile events will bring the world’s best esports teams and players from all across the world to compete in Singapore.
BLAST has teamed up with AEG Presents Asia, one of the world’s largest live entertainment entities to bring these events to Singapore. The partnership forms part of BLAST’s ambition to create the best esports experiences by working closely with premier destinations and the biggest and best live entertainment partners.
More than half of global esports views (57%) are estimated to come from the Asia Pacific region, 47% more than any other region in the world with the global market valued at $1.6 billion.
By bringing the top-tier Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to Singapore, BLAST aims
to attract global esports talent, foster local growth, and elevate Singapore’s status as a destination for world-class esports entertainment.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring two of the biggest esports titles to this vibrant destination. Over the coming 18 months, Singapore will become a major hub for esports in Southeast Asia, and with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences for fans while helping to build a thriving esports ecosystem in the region. Bringing the first BLAST arena event to Singapore is an exciting first step in this journey. The World Final will see the world’s best Counter-Strike players and teams fighting for a $1,000,000 total prize pool.”
Ms Ong Ling Lee, Executive Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are excited to host the BLAST Premier World Final and the BLAST Dota Slam in Singapore. The Counter-Strike event marks the first BLAST-branded event in Southeast Asia and the inaugural Counter-Strike tournament series in the region, solidifying Singapore’s position as a world-class esports destination. We are confident that the international participants and their legions of fans will have a memorable experience in Singapore, immersing themselves in the diverse and dynamic offerings of our city.”
The World Final 2024 will take place from 30th October – 3rd November and will be the first BLAST event to take place in Singapore, followed by the BLAST Dota Slam in 2025. The World Final will be the biggest Counter-Strike event to take place in Singapore, where the world’s best eight Counter-Strike teams will compete for a massive prize pool of $1,000,000 and the chance to claim bragging rights as the best team around.
Qualified World Final teams: NAVI, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan and G2 Esports.
Fans can sign-up for the pre-sale window by registering with BLAST.tv, where they will also receive updates and information on tickets.
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