Next Generation Lotteries AS

Corporate Structure & Ownership

Next Generation Lotteries AS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pollard Banknote Limited, a publicly traded Canadian company (TSX: PBL) headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Pollard Banknote acquired NGL on January 14, 2021, after signing a definitive agreement on December 31, 2020. The purchase price of €36 million was funded through existing cash reserves, credit facilities, and issuance of treasury shares. As a subsidiary, NGL operates semi-independently with its own management team, reporting into Pollard Banknote’s lottery technology division.

History & Evolution

NGL’s technological roots trace back to 1996 when Betware was founded in Iceland as the world’s first company to build internet-based lottery solutions. Over two decades, Betware grew into a leading iLottery platform provider, eventually becoming part of the NOVOMATIC group as Novomatic Lottery Solutions (NLS). In 2019, NGL (then a newly formed entity) acquired the entire lottery operations of NLS from NOVOMATIC AG, including its staff, contracts, and intellectual property. NGL then operated as an independent company until its acquisition by Pollard Banknote in 2021.

Products & Services

NGL provides a full-stack suite of lottery technology and services. Its Modular Open Gaming Platform is a scalable architecture supporting retail, online, and mobile lottery games with flexible integration capabilities. The Full-Service Retail Solutions include POS embedded software, terminal management, and retail network administration. The Modern iLottery Platform features a full-featured player account management (PAM) system, supporting draw-based games, e-instants, toto, and instant-win games. An in-house Games Studio develops a wide portfolio of e-instant, toto, and draw games for both retail and digital channels. Additionally, Comprehensive Facilities Management provides end-to-end operational services including hosting, monitoring, support, and managed services for lottery operators.

Clients & Jurisdictions

NGL’s client base is concentrated in Europe and Africa. Known customers include Loteries de Catalunya (Spain), the national lottery of Tunisia, and lottery operations in Norway. The company has also worked with operators in Estonia and Canada via former relationships.

Certifications & Compliance

In 2023, NGL, as part of Pollard Banknote, became among the first lottery suppliers to achieve WLA SCS:2020 Level 2 certification, the highest security standard for lottery systems from the World Lottery Association.

Team & Locations

At the time of acquisition (2020), NGL had approximately 130 employees. Its headquarters are in Vienna, Austria. Development and operations staff are based in Reykjavík (Iceland), Belgrade (Serbia), and additional field offices in Spain and Tunisia to support client operations.

Financial Context

The acquisition purchase price of €36 million (approx. CAD $50 million) was modest relative to Pollard Banknote’s revenue (which was approximately CAD $400 million in 2020). NGL’s revenue contributes to Pollard Banknote’s lottery systems segment, which the parent company actively grows through cross-selling and geographic expansion.

Strategic Position

Within Pollard Banknote, NGL complements the North American iLottery joint venture NeoPollard Interactive LLC, extending the group’s reach into European and Asian markets. NGL’s open platform approach allows integration with existing lottery infrastructures, making it a flexible alternative to larger competitors like IGT, Scientific Games, and INTRALOT.