March 13, 2009 (InfoPowa News) — GTECH Corporation, which owns online gambling software developer Boss Media and other Internet interests, is getting into the lottery sector with a deal that literally rocks. The company announced this week that it has signed a multi-year licensing agreement with the rock band Aerosmith, giving GTECH the exclusive rights to use one of the most powerful brands in the music industry for a lottery business.
Top American rockers Aerosmith have massive international appeal with a fan base consistent with core lottery players — 60 percent male and 40 percent female, in the 25-54 age group.
GTECH plans to develop innovative lottery games across all channels that will include, in addition to cash prizes, exclusive Aerosmith merchandise, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences including VIP All Access passes to Aerosmith’s upcoming tour.
“Knowing that Aerosmith’s music has a huge multi-generational demographic fan base, we are confident that the brand, the music, and the value-added merchandise, and experiential prizes will provide our customers an opportunity to drive revenue with innovative and fun lottery games," said Ross Dalton, GTECH's Senior Vice President, Printed Products and Licensed Content. "With the band set to release a new album and go back on tour, this year represents a unique opportunity for our lottery customers worldwide to take advantage of this mega brand."
Aerosmith has sold more than 150 million albums and received numerous awards over the course of its 30-year career including: eight American Music Awards, four Grammy Awards, 12 MTV Music Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, among many others. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, is a 2000 Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee, and has had 29 Billboard charting singles including 11 Top Ten hits. Their many smashes include such iconic rock songs as "Dream On", "Sweet Emotion", "Walk This Way", and "Love in an Elevator".
The group has sold out shows around the globe, boasts a diehard “Blue Army” fan-base numbering in the millions worldwide, and has set an all-time attendance record for the Tokyo Dome. It has an impressive list of successful tours to its credit, having performed in such locations as Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, and Canada. The most recent tour in 2007 included 35 dates in 20 countries around the world, from Boston to Dubai to Russia.
Aerosmith has performed the prestigious NFL Superbowl XXXV Halftime Show along with Britney Spears and ‘N Sync, in front of approximately 84.3 million viewers, and they were a headliner at Woodstock ’94.
Most recently, the band’s music has found great success in the massively popular Guitar Hero: Aerosmith video game, which is available on PlayStation3, PlayStation2, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii gaming systems. The game was introduced in 2008 and sales continue to explode and break records. Aerosmith is scheduled to release a new album and tour in mid-2009.
Now — can we expect an Aerosmith branded online gambling slot from Boss Media?