Online Casino News and Information

March 28, 2006

AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s market for emerging international companies, saw one of its largest IPOs Tuesday as Playtech made its public debut, valuing the software maker for online casinos at nearly $1 billion.

Based in the British Virgin Islands, but with roots and a tech team in the Baltic nation of Estonia, seven-year-old Playtech began trading at $4.50 per share, raising $55.6 million. Brisk trading reflects investor confidence in the rapidly growing online casino market and marks Estonia as one of the few countries to emerge from the old Soviet bloc with a vibrant IT economy.

Online gambling is estimated to be a $700-billion market worldwide, according to Terrie C Walker Consulting in Atlanta, and Playtech has enjoyed its share of the profits. In 2001, the company had only two licensees for its software. That figure has grown to 39 licensees serving 94 online casinos, 15 online poker sites, and 15 online bingo sites. Playtech’s profits have grown to $35.6 million in 2005 from $8.3 million in 2003.

Internet gambling sites like PartyGaming, which debuted on the LSE last June at a value of $8.46 billion, have watched profits soar as broadband access grows in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

In 2004, PartyGaming had an average daily revenue of $1.7 million. That number rose to almost $3 million in 2005: And this despite a murky regulatory environment that makes online gambling officially illegal in some countries including in the United States.

With a population of 1.3 million and a per capita gross domestic product of $17,672—the highest of the Baltic states—Estonia is building a name for itself as an island of IT in an otherwise depressed region. Although it is owned by eBay and headquartered in Luxembourg, Internet phone company Skype also has its origins in Estonia.

While Playtech has joined the rest of the online gambling community and incorporated on a balmy island with favorable tax laws and no prohibitions against online wagering, the company got its start in Estonia. Playtech now counts Bet365, SportsInterAction, and land-based Intercontinental Casinos as customers.

The IPO was also good news for AIM. Startups raised $4.02 billion on AIM in 2004, up from $1.83 billion in 2003

RED HERRING - The Business of Technology - March 28, 2006

One Lucky River Belle Player Will Have the Opportunity to Go Pro at the World Series of Poker

River Belle Online Poker Will Send One Winner to Every Event at the 2006 World Series of Poker

GIBRALTAR – March 6, 2006 – At the final table of the No-Limit Texas Hold’em World Series of Poker Main Event, the greatest poker players in the world are at war with each other, giving cold stares and making bluffs, painfully relinquishing chips until only one is left standing, ready to claim a fortune. But fortunes are made at more than one table at the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

This summer River Belle Online Poker will be sending one of its loyal players to compete in all 45 events at the 2006 World Series of Poker. Entry into the competition can be done in one of two ways: logging on to www.riverbellepoker.com and finding the WSOP Multi Event promotion or by accessing the WSOP Multi Event tables in the Satellites tab of Multi-Table Tournaments in the River Belle Poker software. The final tournament to determine the River Belle representative at the WSOP is scheduled for May 20th, and players can enter into qualifying tournaments with buy-ins as low as $11+$1.

The winner will have one month to recuperate before a two month marathon of competitive poker in Las Vegas. They will arrive as the best player on the River Belle network and could leave as the best player in the world. To make the experience even more comfortable, River Belle will be including up to 60 nights of accommodation in a luxury suite at the Rio Hotel & Casino, round trip tickets for the player and their guest, plus $3,500 in spending money. All told, the lucky River Belle rep will be winning a prize package of more than $130,000, with an opportunity to experience the WSOP and win millions.

“This is an opportunity to live and breath poker for two months,” said Tim Johnson, Chairman of Carmen Media Group, owners of Belle Rock Entertainment. “This promotion is available to every single River Belle player. I wish everyone the best of luck as always, but in this case luck will only get your foot in the door. The rest is up to your skill and passion for poker.”

About River Belle

River Belle (www.riverbelle.com) is the fastest growing online entertainment brand in the Belle Rock Entertainment group, which is owned by Carmen Media Group Limited based in Gibraltar. River Belle Online Casino, River Belle Online Poker and River Belle Multiplayer Casino make up the successful River Belle portfolio accommodating thousands of players every day. Part of the Prima Poker Network - a global card room network where players from different card rooms play against each other, River Belle Online Poker is designed to bring players the ultimate poker experience. Incorporating state-of-the-art software powered by Microgaming and rich interface features, River Belle brings the best online games to life. As the most trusted name in online gaming, River Belle continues to set the standard in fair play, transparency initiatives and the promotion of responsible gaming.