The new network is being deployed to provide gaming and lottery services to an initial 2,500 sites in several countries in West Africa, including, the Ivory Coast, DRC and Senegal. Subsequent phases will potentially increase the scope of the project to up to 10,000 sites and will include additional countries in the region.

Modern gaming terminals require secure communications for their operations. In addition, migrating to online services is usually based on web technologies. VSAT networks provide an excellent solution for lottery - being both secure and providing very high availability - even in the most difficult locations in Africa. VSAT technology enables upgrading the network centrally to support additional online games and services as these are added.

Nir Korman, Gilat's Regional Vice President, Africa, said, "As the pioneer in satellite-based communications networks for lottery and gaming, Gilat has extensive experience in providing reliable and efficient solutions for this sector, and has delivered some of the world's largest projects in this field. We are pleased to have been chosen for this significant project and to continue to expand our footprint in West Africa."