Anchor vows to appeal Florida lottery ruling

Monday, Jan. 31, 2000 | 11:38 a.m.

Anchor Gaming of Las Vegas said it would appeal a Florida court's decision invalidating its on-line lottery systems contract with the state.

A Florida Circuit Court granted a summary judgment Friday to GTECH Corp., which had challenged a March 9, 1999, contract between the state's lottery system and Anchor's Automated Wagering International Inc. (AWI) subsidiary.

AWI will file an appeal and seek a stay of the ruling, which is scheduled to take effect Friday. AWI will continue to provide its on-line gaming services and products to the lottery if the stay is granted, Anchor Chief Financial Officer Geoff Sage said.

If a stay isn't granted, Sage said, AWI will enter into an interim contract while the appeal is being considered.

GTECH had filed two previous objections to AWI's contract, but Florida's appeals and supreme courts upheld the lottery's deal with AWI.

Sage didn't disclose the financial details of the Florida contract, but acknowledged it's important to AWI.

"There are in excess of 10,000 lottery terminals in Florida, and when you look at contracts on a terminal-by-terminal basis, Florida is one of our largest," he said.

"We feel confident when this is done, we'll have a long-term relationship with the state of Florida," he said. "Ultimately it will involve a determination of whether the contract stays in place as is or if we have to renegotiate certain terms of the contract.

"Given what we think will be the outcome, we don't think Friday's court ruling will have a material impact."