STOCKHOLM, Dec. 19, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Online poker is Boss Media's (Other OTC:BMDIF) latest big initiative, aimed at a target group with an estimated market of over 90 million poker players who together form a global multi-billion dollar industry. Internet poker has grown substantially in recent years, both as an amusement and among professional players playing for money.
The revenue model for the gaming operator is the same as in traditional poker rooms, with the "house" getting a share of the pot on each deal. This is known as the "rake" and provides risk-free revenue. This contrasts with, say, casino gaming or lotteries, in which the operator takes a risk. For a table of 6-8 players the poker room often earns over a hundred dollars per hour, and powered by the Internet it is possible to have hundreds of tables playing simultaneously at no extra cost to the operator.
For assistance Boss Media turned to one of the world's foremost poker professionals, author and journalist Andy "the Poker Pundit" Glazer. Glazer not only helped Boss Media to create competitive software, but also helped drum up excitement among the international poker world in anticipation of the launch of TotalPoker.com.
"For millions of poker players, online poker will become what the stock exchange is to day-traders playing the financial markets. Any time I like I can go upstairs in my home in Los Angeles, turn on the computer and find 100 players who are ready to play for 5,000 dollars. Online poker has many advantages, which make it fun to play, quite apart from making it easier to keep a poker face - statistics, more tables to choose from, and you also avoid the cigarette smoke. Thanks to its existing customers, its portal Casino.com and its reputation in the sector, Boss Media is ideally placed to get off to a flying start", says Andy Glazer.
"This is our third customer group and we will be continuing our policy of growth from our existing technical platform. In recent years the poker segment has been highly profitable for those achieving the critical mass that we hope to achieve, thanks in part to our existing licensees", says Peter Bertilsson, President and CEO of Boss Media.
Boss Media, which develops turnkey systems for digital gaming, launched casino software for the Internet back in 1997 and expanded its product range to include bingo software at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas in September this year. Boss Media's poker software is expected to become a lucrative complement to casino operations for many gaming operators. The poker initiative will be aimed at both Boss Media's existing customers and new potential customers. Poker will also be offered to poker players direct via Boss Media's poker portal www.totalpoker.com.
The Boss Media Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of digitally distributed gaming entertainment. Potential licensees are offered a customized gaming system, an integrated payment system and the maintenance and administration services necessary for the operation of the licensed gaming system. Boss Media AB (publ) is a publicly traded company listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange's O- list. For more information about the company, please visit http://www.bossmedia.com.
For further information please contact: Peter Bertilsson, President and CEO, Boss Media AB (publ), Tel.: +46 (0)470-70 30 01 or +46 (0)709-93 25 54, E-mail: pbe@bossmedia.se
Ulrika Persson, Investor Relations, Boss Media AB (publ), Tel.: +46 (0)470-70 30 00 or +46 (0)733-36 77 69, E-mail: up@bossmedia.se
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