BetDirect Customer Numbers

Sportech PLC
21 June 2001


21st June 2001


Royal Ascot takes Sportech's Telephone and Online Betting Business to 200,000
                              Customer Milestone

Sportech plc ('Sportech' or 'the Company') today announces that Bet Direct,
the telephone and online betting division of its famous Littlewoods Leisure
business, has signed up its 200,000th customer.

Launched just over two years ago as a telephone betting service only, Bet
Direct's customer base has grown exponentially and has been complemented by
its fast expanding online betting presence via BetDirect.net and Bet247.co.uk.
Since the Company announced its Preliminary Results in February 2001, Bet
Direct's customer numbers have grown by 21%, from 165,000 to 200,000, despite
the cancellation of sporting events due to adverse weather conditions and foot
and mouth disease.

This key customer milestone for the company falls in Royal Ascot week,
cementing further the association between the Littlewoods' brand name and the
pre-eminent events in the British sporting calendar. Earlier this year the
Company launched its new BetDirect.net internet betting site to coincide with
the Aintree Grand National with over 3000 new customers recruited through this
new on line service.

It is this multi-channel approach to bringing Littlewoods' broad offering of
betting and gaming products to the customer that makes Sportech unique.



Colin McGill, Managing Director, Sportech plc said:

'For our sports-betting business, customer numbers are a key performance
measure.

'The rapid growth of our online and telephone betting business reflects the
quality of the Bet Direct service and demonstrates the Company's ability to
move into the new gaming markets, capitalising on the strength of the
Littlewoods brand, namely its association with the values of trust and
integrity. The range of betting and gaming products on offer from Littlewoods,
to our overall customer base of 1.6 million households makes us unique within
the industry.'



Enquiries

Sportech plc                       0151 288 3167

Colin McGill, Managing Director

Bell Pottinger Financial           020 7353 9203

Rebecca Fox / Oliver Jones





Notes to Editors


  * Sportech plc is the holding company for Littlewoods Leisure, the UK
    gaming company, acquired in a reverse take-over completed in September
    2000.

  * Littlewoods Leisure is one of UK's oldest established gaming companies,
    providing football pools, sports betting and lotteries. Founded in 1923 as
    Littlewoods Pools, the company has a regular playing customer base
    covering 1.6 million households.

  * Littlewoods Leisure's multi-product offering is complemented by its
    multi-channel distribution network including mail, telephone, the
    Internet, 15,000 retail stores and 13,000 door-to-door collectors, over
    60% of which use hand held bet capture terminals.

  * Bet Direct, the telephone and on line betting arm of Littlewoods
    Leisure, has been one of the fastest growing sports betting services in
    the UK. It offers customers the opportunity to place a bet on all of their
    favourite sports anywhere and at any time. Bet Direct offers a full range
    of fixed odds betting and prides itself on delivering innovative betting
    incentives for its customers through daily 'Best Bets'. Offers include
    better place terms, cashback deals and bonuses. Bet calls are free and
    there is a free £5 bet for all new customers.

  * Littlewoods Leisure will be rewarding its 200,000th Bet Direct customer
    with a free £1,000 bet and an invitation to attend Goodwood as a guest of
    the Company.