Category Archives: Lottery

Harlem Globetrotters, EQL Games Announce Lottery Program Partnership For The 2026 Centennial Season

The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters and lottery vendor EQL Games today formally announced a joint partnership to identify and launch state lottery games across the country in celebration of the organization’s centennial season. The program, the first-ever lottery series connected to the Globetrotters brand, will officially begin in December with a scratch ticket released by the Maryland Lottery.

The Globetrotters Centennial season will officially tip off with a special event at Madison Square Garden on December 14.

“The growth of casual gaming continues to be a key engagement point for consumers and we are proud to be able to use this partnership with EQL Games to have our brand story in front of millions of consumers who might not be our traditional fanbase,” said Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios. “This is yet another great example of the fun and unique ways the organization will grow our areas of consumer engagement as our Centennial season tips off.”

“The 2026 season marks 100 years of the Globetrotters being synonymous with fun and entertainment, two of the biggest reasons people play the lottery,” said Brad Cummings, CEO of EQL Games. “We are honored to kick off this partnership with the Maryland Lottery, and we are looking forward to expanding it to other lotteries in the coming months. Players will have the best of both worlds – a chance to win money and the opportunity to see the Globetrotters.”

Released on the eve of the team’s 100th year celebration in 2026, the new $2 Maryland tickets feature vintage Harlem Globetrotters designs, including the iconic basketball spinning on a finger, and the chance to win prizes, both instantly and through a second-chance promotion. Similar programs are in discussion with other states and will be announced in the coming months.

The full 100th Anniversary Tour will continue onwards with Boston and Pittsburgh on Friday, December 26th and continue the roll out across 200+ domestic markets and over 125+ markets internationally. Fans can also expect all-new surprises like the Golden Basketball by Spalding®, epic pre-game Magic Pass experiences, 100 Year limited edition merchandise and many other new innovations for the “Ambassadors of Basketball.” International markets such as France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Mexico, and across Asia are just a few of the many locations the Harlem Globetrotters will be touring in winter of 2026 and running through the remainder of the year.

Sazka optimistic on chances of taking over the UK National Lottery

The U.K. National Lottery is up for grabs. Currently, Camelot U.K. Lotteries Ltd. runs the show, and has since 1994. However, its license expires in 2023, and it’s time for the U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC) to determine if someone else should be given the reins. It launched an application period last August, ready to see who would be the best fit to receive a new ten-year concession. Among those vying for the rights is Czechoslovakia-based Sazka Group, and the company is optimistic about its chances.

According to Justin King, who serves as an advisor to the company in its efforts to be awarded the National Lottery license, Sazka is in a great position to win. It already operates lotteries in Austria, Czech Republic, Greece and Italy and adding the U.K. to its portfolio would support its authority on the subject of lotteries. King is one of three advisors working with the company, alongside London 2012 Olympics deputy chairman Sir Keith Mills and lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman.

King explained to The Mail this weekend that Sazka expects to be able to integrate its knowledge and experience in lottery management to facilitate more growth of the National Lottery. The company believes it can attract more local players to independent stores, which would help the latter regain some of the ground they’ve lost to other gambling services. He explained to The Mail, “The lottery was billed as one of the saving graces of the independent corner shop – it would be a footfall driver, a reason for regular visits, which perhaps those corner shops have lost.”

Sazka will first need to avoid any fallout related to possible ties to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Mail points out that Apollo Global Management, which has also had its eye on several gaming-based companies, is helping fund Sazka’s bid for the National Lottery. The company is run by Leon Black, who reportedly had ties to Epstein, who reportedly killed himself in prison in 2019. Black is stepping down as Apollo’s CEO this summer as a result of the connection to Epstein.