Harrah's to Offer New Server Based Hold'em Game

[MTPaid]

Would somebody who's brain isn't fried right now please interpret this for me? Could this have anything to do with the reason they supported the online gambling ban? Should I hate Harrah's even more than I already do now? If I'm reading this right though, I think you still have to be inside the casino to play. Maybe I got it wrong, but why the hell would you go to the casino to play a version of "online" poker?

http://cf.us.biz.yahoo.com/bw/061023/20 ... .html?.v=1

Progressive Gaming International and Harrah's Team Up to Offer New Server-Based Game: The World Series of Poker(R) ''Peer to Peer'' Texas Hold'em System for Both Wired and Wireless Formats in All Regulated Gaming Venues Worldwide
Monday October 23, 8:40 am ET


LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Progressive Gaming International Corporation (NASDAQ: PGIC - News; "PGIC"), a leading provider of diversified content and technology products and services used in the gaming industry worldwide, announced today it intends to introduce an exciting new way to play Texas Hold'em poker: the World Series of Poker® "Peer to Peer" Texas Hold'em game.
The World Series of Poker "Peer to Peer" Texas Hold'em gaming system will be designed to allow patrons to play poker on a wired or wireless device on a secure intranet server managed from within a casino in jurisdictions where it is legal to do so. A poker player will be able to play World Series of Poker "Peer to Peer" Texas Hold'em at a variety of locations within a casino, without the need to be physically located at a poker table. Players may be able to play within the casino property at a bar, restaurant, and even poolside.

The World Series of Poker "Peer to Peer" Texas Hold'em gaming system is expected to be offered on a wireless and wired hardware platform with the use of a mobile handheld device or a fixed terminal. This will help casino operators to leverage "unused gaming space," and create potential opportunities for incremental revenue growth without having to displace other products.

Harrah's Licensing Company, LLC, an affiliate of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET - News; "Harrah's") has extended the license for the World Series of Poker brand to PGIC on a limited exclusive basis for a six year term. Upon receiving Gaming Laboratories International ("GLI") approval, PGIC has committed to place a minimum number of units which the company fully expects to meet based on early customer interest.

"We are pleased to partner again with PGIC in leveraging the most powerful brand in poker worldwide, the World Series of Poker," Ken Weil, senior vice president of gaming at Harrah's commented. "Many regulated operators do not have poker rooms. The World Series of Poker "Peer to Peer" Texas Hold'em gaming system provides operators with the ability to offer their patrons the opportunity to participate in exciting Texas Hold'em poker game competitions that capture the excitement of an authentic WSOP experience. As a casino operator and brand licensor, we are very excited by the strategic and economic opportunity that the World Series of Poker "Peer to Peer" Texas Hold'em gaming system can provide Harrah's."

Russ McMeekin, President and CEO of PGIC stated, "With the success of our previously released game incorporating the World Series of Poker brand on our Texas Hold'em Bonus poker live table game, and the continued success of the live World Series of Poker event, we are very excited about the further expansion of our partnership with Harrah's. With the popular TV ratings of the World Series of Poker events and early customer interest in the "Peer to Peer" version, we expect another successful product launch. We believe the "Peer to Peer" system, both the wired and/or wireless versions, has a potential global marketplace of over 5,000 legalized gaming venues. We are delighted and honored to partner on this very exciting global initiative, which is intended to leverage our extensive acquisition and development investments in secure thin-client wired and wireless server based technologies. We expect to submit this system to GLI during the fourth quarter of 2006 and comply with other standard regulatory approval processes. We expect to submit this system to other jurisdictions such as Nevada, New Jersey, Canada and other International markets throughout 2006-07. We expect this new poker gaming system to be of one of our key products showcased at the upcoming global gaming show this November in Las Vegas."

About Progressive Gaming International

Progressive Gaming International is a leading supplier of Integrated Casino Management Systems Software and Games for the gaming industry worldwide. The Company develops and distributes an expanding array of slot and table games, plus management and progressive jackpot software systems.

The Company is unique in the industry in offering management, progressive systems and games as a modular yet integrated solution. There is a Progressive Gaming International product in virtually every casino in the world. For further information, visit www.progressivegaming.net.

About Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.

Harrah's Licensing Company, LLC, is an affiliate of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET - News), the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada 68 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. More information about Harrah's is available at the company's web site, www.harrahs.com.

Safe Harbor Statements under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the expected introduction of the World Series of Poker "Peer to Peer" Texas Hold'em game, expected use of the game and the potential benefits of the game for patrons and casinos, activities expected to occur in connection with the use of the World Series of Poker brand and the Company's agreement with Harrah's, estimated market statistics and anticipated demand for the World Series of Poker "Peer to Peer" Texas Hold'em game, and expectations for regulatory submissions involving the game. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual circumstances, events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include, but are not limited to, the risk that products utilizing the World Series of Poker brand may not be available when expected, or at all, or that such products will provide the benefits expected under the agreement with Harrah's, the status of rights licensed from content providers, risks related to the Company's ability to enforce and develop its intellectual property rights, including rights licensed from third parties, the risk that patents or trademarks may exist of which the company is not aware, or that existing patents may provide benefits to third parties beyond those anticipated by the Company, relationships with casino operators, the overall industry environment, customer acceptance of the Company's new products, including those containing the World Series of Poker brand, further approvals of regulatory authorities, adverse court rulings, production and/or quality control problems, the denial, suspension or revocation of privileged operating licenses by governmental authorities, competitive pressures and general economic conditions, the Company's ability to meet its capital requirements, as well as the Company's debt service obligations. For a discussion of these and other factors which may cause actual events or results to differ from those projected, please refer to the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new circumstances or anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances as they occur.

[MVPSPORTS]

[iceman5]

[MVPSPORTS]

[k3nt]

It does sound good. All the donkeys of live play, but faster play. If you can multi-table this then I would so love to be there.

[MVPSPORTS]

How bout if I sit at a 2/5 at Ballys and 5 table the donks at the Rio pool at the same time... TITE..

[Molina]

[NorthView]

[k3nt]

If they wanted to tax online poker companies, they could have, you know, started to regulate and tax them, instead of outlawing them. That's what all the online poker sites were asking for: please regulate us, we'll pay taxes, just don't outlaw the game.

It looks to me like this one really was one where the influence of the hypocritical Christian right won out over the interest in adding to our tax base and economic growth.

[iceman5]

I agree with you K3nt, but I think when they realize its not working, they will reverse course at some point.

I heard for years and years that Texas would never get a lottery because of the religious forces at work here, but we have one now. 8 Billion dollars from lottery revenue has been poured into the education system since the lottery started.

There is now a push to legalize gambling in Texas and although its probably several years away still, there is already a full blown plan to turn Reunion Arena (where the Mavs and Stars used to play) into a huge casino in the middle of downtown.

People are going to gamble. Right now all the tax revenue from gambling is going to Louisiana and Oklahoma and eventually I think it will stay here in Texas. I think the same thing will happen to online poker, although theres no telling how long it will take.

[NorthView]

[T-Rod]

[Nortonesque]

The best part will be seeing a TAG at the bar surrounded by 5 wireless PDAs. Or when a new casino opens and there are no table games -- just a big room full of chairs to sit in.

[MTPaid]

[MVPSPORTS]

Plenty of people that go to Dolphins games bring a TV and watch it while they're there...