5th Feb 2007 07:02
888 Holdings plc05 February 2007 5 February 2007 888 Holdings Public Limited Company ("888") & Georgica plc ("Georgica") 888 and Georgica Announce Poker Partnership 888, one of the world's most popular online gaming entertainment companies, andGeorgica, the owner of Rileys, the UK's largest chain of 168 snooker, pool andpoker clubs, announce a co-operation agreement whereby 888 will use its onlinepoker capabilities to support Rileys' website and clubs throughout the UK. Under the terms of the initial three year agreement, 888 and Rileys will worktogether to develop the www.rileyspoker.com website, powered by 888.com. Thepoker site will be promoted by Rileys in their clubs, to their 525,000 membersand externally in new club member recruitment. Under the terms of this uniquepoker proposition, 888 and Rileys will develop a series of online and offlineconcepts including poker league tables, regional events and a televised nationalpoker tournament. This is the first combined online and offline poker offeringof its kind in the UK. Georgica has already begun to roll out live, face-to-face poker tournaments toits Rileys snooker and pool members clubs, and expects to have live pokeroperating in around 100 clubs by Easter. In addition to its online support, 888will provide assistance and technical support for the roll out and running ofthese live, face-to-face poker tournaments. The partnership between Georgica and 888 expands 888's diversified,multi-channel strategy to grow customer reach and appeal, significantlybroadening its potential audience. There is a natural synergy between 888, theprincipal sponsor of the 888.com World Snooker Championship and leading playersRonnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui, and Rileys, the UK's leading chain of snookerand pool clubs. This partnership enables Georgica to develop further itsmembership offering, both in clubs and online, as part of its continued strategyto grow and expand the Rileys business. Gigi Levy, CEO of 888 commented: ''This is a hugely exciting and ground-breaking partnership for 888 which allowsus to offer a unique poker proposition to the gaming market. 888 and Rileyscustomers will have access to a multitude of innovative gaming alternativesunparalleled in the offline and online poker world, where customers are able tobe part of a community of poker players that meet to play live poker both onlineand offline." Peter Haspel, MD of Georgica commented: ''Our move to provide both live and online poker tournaments to the members ofRileys clubs represents an exciting opportunity for Georgica as part of itscontinued strategy to grow and expand the Rileys business. The agreement with888 for the provision of online poker and assistance with the roll out of livepoker gives Rileys access to the wealth of experience that 888 have in bothonline and offline poker and online marketing." -ends- Further information 888Gigi Levy, Chief Executive Officer +350 49 800Aviad Kobrine, Chief Financial Officer +350 49 800 Bell Pottinger Corporate & FinancialNick Lambert +44 (0) 20 7861 3232 GeorgicaPeter Haspel, Managing Director +44 (0) 20 7600 8200 SmithfieldJohn Kiely / Libby Young +44 (0) 20 7360 4900 Notes to Editors About 888 888.com is headquartered and licensed in Gibraltar with offices in Tel Aviv,Antigua and London. 888's customer support is available in up to 11 languages -24 hours a day, seven days a week. In October 2005, 888's shares were admitted to the Main Market of the LondonStock Exchange. 888.com offers traditional casino products such as blackjack, roulette, craps,baccarat, keno, slot machines, video, and a variety of poker games. Its mainpoker offering is provided through the Pacific Poker brand which offers ringgames and tournaments. Other offerings include skill games such as checkers, backgammon and arcadegames (888.tv) as well as free poker school and other casino games through888.info. The Group has its own R&D arm that is based in Tel Aviv and develops proprietarysoftware for exclusive use by 888.com. This enables the Group to evolvecontinually and develop the software and systems to give customers a state ofthe art gaming experience. It also provides a full back office management systemthat is owned and controlled directly by 888. This ensures the company is notreliant on third parties for its software. About Georgica Georgica is an AIM-listed leisure group, operating over 200 outlets around theUK through its Rileys and Tenpin businesses. Rileys is Europe's largest and leading Snooker, Poker, American and English Pooloperator with 168 clubs across the UK. It offers its 525,000 members anunrivalled experience for the playing of snooker, pool and live poker throughits chain of 168 clubs. Rileys is continuing to increase the number of clubs aspart of its ongoing programme of building and acquiring new clubs, with 11 newclubs opened in 2006, and four new clubs already contracted to open in 2007. Tenpin is the UK's leading tenpin bowling operator with 39 venues across thecountry, with over four million visitors every year. Tenpin is continuing toexpand its offering through building and acquiring new venues, with five newunits already contracted to open from 2008. In November 2006, Georgica announced that it planned to reorganise into twoseparate Aim-listed companies; Rileys Plc, which will comprise the 168 existingand 4 new cue sports businesses, and Tenpin Plc, which will comprise the 39existing and 5 new bowling centres. The poker partnership between Rileys and 888 will form part of the ongoingbusiness of Rileys Plc. As of 2nd February 2007 Georgica's shares were valued at £1.39 with a marketcapitalisation of £135 million. For further information on Rileys go to www.rileysltd.co.uk This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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