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ABDUCTION ALERTS WILL LINK WITH LOTTERY MACHINES

8/28/2003 12:00:00 AM

Columbia, SC: Starting August 27, 2003, the South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) will partner with the SC AMBER Alert System to distribute information in the event a South Carolina child is abducted. The SCEL will link more than 3,400 on-line terminals which dispense tickets for games such as Pick 3, Pick 4, Carolina 5 and Powerball®.

The Customer Display Unit on the lottery terminal will broadcast a message stating a SC AMBER Alert has been issued by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Customers will be directed to ask the cashier for more details.

This second phase of the statewide SC AMBER Alert system was launched today at a news conference held at the Statehouse.

“If someone is on the run, they will more than likely have to get gas and food,” said Ernie Passailaigue, the SCEL’s Executive Director. “With our statewide network of retailers, we can help convey the information in a quick and useful way.”

Lottery retailers will print and post the abduction information in their stores, increasing the distributions and visibility of vital details at no cost to the state.

Since January 2002, the SCEL has transferred more than $339 million to the State Education Lottery Account for distribution according to South Carolina Legislation. The SCEL’s net proceeds pay for specific educational programs, including South Carolina’s HOPE, LIFE and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships; the National Guard Scholarship Program; Lottery Tuition Assistance for two-year programs within the state’s university system; a wide range of technical upgrades for state colleges and universities; school buses; local libraries and gambling addiction services. For a complete listing of the legislative distribution of lottery dollars, please visit our website: www.sceducationlottery.com.

“Have fun. Play Smart. Play Responsibly.”

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