IGT and Churchill Downs expand Historical Horse Racing tech to Malta with National Lottery partnership

International Game Technology (IGT) and Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) have expanded their Historical Horse Racing (HHR) technology footprints to Malta via an agreement with National Lottery, a subsidiary of IZI Group.

As per the agreement, IGT's product will initially represent a 100% HHR floor share at National Lottery's first HHR venue, IZIBINGO, situated in St. Paul's Bay, while Exacta Services, a subsidiary of CDI, will power the property's gaming floor with its Exacta Connect system solution.

IGT and Exacta will also power HHR at several other National Lottery gaming venues throughout the island. The deployments mark the world's first HHR technology deployment outside of the U.S., the companies said.

National Lottery will launch its HHR offering with more than 80 IGT HHR games on IGT hardware including the PeakSlant49, PeakSlant32 and Cobalt27 cabinets. With this, players will earn access to HHR versions of games such as Prosperity Link and IGT classic games such as Cleopatra Gold, Wolf Run Gold and Stinkin' Rich Skunks Gone Wild.

Meanwhile, Exacta Connect will be "the driving force with its all-in-one pari-mutuel system, ensuring the gaming floors are compliant, running smoothly, and driving handle," the companies added.

"Exacta is thrilled to announce our new partnership with IZI Group and IGT in Malta, which marks an exciting first step towards our international expansion. The flexibility of our Exacta Connect system in adapting to different markets and legislative environments, coupled with the thrill of HHR gaming, continues to drive this growth," said Jeff Lind, Exacta Systems President.

"We are excited to launch the first-ever HHR offering outside the USA," said Johann Schembri, Chief Executive Officer, National Lottery. "This first installation at IZIBINGO and other sites within our lottery network in the coming weeks is the result of extensive efforts and represents a significant step in our mission to innovate the operations of the National Lottery."

"Our collaboration with Exacta and IGT, two of the world's leading technology providers in this market, enables us to establish the ideal showcase for this offering, as we endeavor to expand this concept internationally."

"Expanding our Historical Horse Racing footprint in Malta is an exciting growth milestone for IGT and a testament to the quality and global relevance of our HHR content and hardware portfolio," said Nick Khin, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Gaming. 

"By offering players HHR-versions of highly popular IGT games such as Prosperity Link and Cleopatra, National Lottery is extending the reach of some of the gaming industry's most celebrated content in a format that players readily enjoy."