Sponsorship Deal
Playtech Limited
08 March 2007
Playtech Limited
('Playtech' or 'the Company')
Playtech Signs Landmark Sponsorship Agreement
with the China Mahjong Association
Playtech (AIM:PTEC), the designer, developer and licensor of software for the
gaming industry, is delighted to announce that Playtech has been selected as
the exclusive sponsor of the China Mahjong Association ('CMA'), under a three
year agreement. Under the deal, Playtech will also act as the exclusive
software provider to the CMA.
As part of the agreement, Playtech will be sponsoring the CMA's national
championship and the quarterly held regional championships. These events will
be renamed the 'Playtech China Mahjong King Championship' and 'Playtech China
Regional Mahjong Finals' respectively. The Company will also sponsor the CMA
World Mahjong Championships timetabled to be held in China later this year.
This agreement is part of Playtech's integrated marketing strategy of
strengthening the Group's leadership position in the Asian gaming market. The
benefits of growth in Asia will complement and reinforce Playtech's wider
operational strategy of developing multi-lingual websites and customer support
on an international basis.
This sponsorship deal follows the recent agreement signed with China's leading
gaming group Sino Strategic International ('SSI'), announced in December 2006.
Playtech is therefore well positioned to develop its brand presence into
lucrative Asian markets such as China, where Mahjong is the country's most
popular game. In addition, working with the CMA compliments the newly announced
contract with Foundation Group Limited ('Foundation Ltd') and further
reinforces Playtech's involvement in the Chinese Peer to Peer (P2P) market.
Tom Hall, President of Playtech's Asia Pacific Operations, commented today:
'The CMA is an accredited Government body and we are delighted to be supporting
the Association to promote the world wide growth of Mahjong games. The CMA's
unrivalled knowledge of the Mahjong gaming community coupled with Playtech's
world leading technology makes for a winning partnership, and we look forward
to a long and profitable relationship. This sponsorship agreement clearly
illustrates Playtech full commitment to developing the considerable growth
potential of Asian gaming market.'
Mr Sheng Qi, Chairman of the CMA, added:
'We are very happy to have Playtech sponsor the CMA's activities. Their
considerable financial support will allow us to better manage our numerous
tournaments and educate people about the great game of Mahjong, which has long
been part of Chinese gaming culture. We chose Playtech over other potential
sponsors as they demonstrated an outstanding knowledge of Mahjong, of China and
its regulatory framework and had existing extensive Asian and Chinese support
operations already in place. In addition, they will also be supportive in
technology matters, which are extremely useful given our drive to take full
advantage of the internet and new educational and promotional tools.'
-ends-
For further information:
Avigur Zmora, Chief Executive Officer, Playtech Limited
c/o Bell Pottinger Tel: 0207 861 3232
David Rydell / Peter Otero / Amy Rajendran
Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial Tel: 0207 861 3232
Notes to Editors
China Mahjong Association
'Chinese Mahjong Exercise United General Association' is the registered company
of 'China Mahjong Association' ('CMA').
Mr Sheng Qi started the CMA in the 1990's with a group of other enthusiasts
and is regularly referred to as the 'Grandfather of Mahjong'. He was the leader
of the regulations team that created the Official Rules of Mahjong and is
credited in the official rule book published and distributed by The China
Ministry of Sports. The CMA further expanded its operations in 2003 by
registering a Hong Kong Company to overcome Chinese laws that restrict the
use of the word 'Majiang' or 'Mahjong' as part of the company name. He also
formally established the CMA's headquarters in Tianjin, China.
During the lifetime of its operations, the CMA has established 23 chapters
around China covering 20 provinces and encompassing over 47,000 members, 40%
of these are under the age of 40. The local chapters include Tianjin, Beijing,
Qingdao, Taiyuan, Zhengzhou, Neimeng, Ningbo, Guangxi, Guangzhou, Changsha,
Xinjiang, Jinan, Nanjing, Liaoyang, Xian, Haerbin and Jiexiu. Each chapter
requires a license to operate from the China Civil Administration Bureau and
China Sports Bureau. 60% of the membership base is comprised of government
officials and company leaders including the Chairman of the China Sports
Bureau. The CMA has held over 100 tournaments across China.
Playtech Limited
Playtech develops unified software platforms for the online gaming industry,
primarily targeting existing online operators wanting to upgrade their system;
sports books looking to diversify and land-based operators making their online
debut.
Playtech gaming applications include online casino, poker, bingo, live gaming,
land-based kiosk networks, mobile, fixed-odds games and video betting
terminals.
Founded in 1999, Playtech has just under 450 employees located globally.
The Company listed on the AIM market in March 2006.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange