SKY BET LAUNCHES POKER UTILISING THE OPENBET™ PLATFORM

wanbet-bc518

Tuesday, 27 March 07
Highlights:

    * Recently launched Sky Bet Poker is enabled by Orbis' OpenBetTM platform and is available online and via interactive television (iTV)
    * Via the OpenBet Poker solution, Sky Bet can heighten its liquidity with the unique ability to direct players into a unified Poker environment via two completely different platforms - the web and iTV
    * Part of the Orbis OpenBet Rake Games module, poker offers multi-platform, multi-table and multi-play tournaments
    * Orbis continues to build on its position as the software provider of choice through OpenBet - the integrated gaming solution

London, UK - March 26, 2007 - Orbis, the world's leading provider of interactive gaming and betting solutions, recently released its Texas Hold‘em poker solution as part of the OpenBet Rake Games module. The Sky Poker launch includes a web-based portal, as well as a dedicated Sky channel 846. This live channel features televised tournaments combining Internet players with those accessing interactively through their remote control, to create a unique and highly entertaining poker experience.

Having developed a tailored product for Sky Bet, Orbis has provided the enabling technology for this revolutionary fully integrated poker solution. Offering a non-download Flash-based web solution, OpenBet Poker features cutting edge graphics and animations with a sophisticated player interface, real and demo play modes, as well as seamless customer log in across multiple platforms.

Through OpenBet's ‘One Account, One Wallet' solution, Sky Bet customers will have the unique opportunity to be able to play tournaments online and via iTV. OpenBet Poker directs both Internet and iTV players into one poker environment, which includes chat facilities, a ‘Hotometer' indicating players' strength of hands and percentages and various tournament options such as ‘sit and go' or ‘scheduled'. Attention has been given to usability and ease of play to ensure it appeals to both the novice and expert players.

David Loveday, Managing Director of Orbis, said: "We are very pleased and proud to launch our OpenBet Poker and feel we have a truly unique product with dual platforms feeding one poker environment. Having worked closely with Sky Bet to incorporate several exclusive features, we have developed a powerful product that reflects their vision for the future of online poker."

Richard Flint, Managing Director of Sky Bet, said "We chose to work with Orbis because they were able to offer us a poker solution that was flexible and adaptable enough to work across all technology platforms, initially Internet, iTV and live broadcast TV. Orbis also offered us an easy way for customers to transfer money into and out of the poker room from the sportsbook, as well as a single database view for customer analysis. We also felt confident that Orbis could meet the high regulatory and compliance standards that Sky requires. We have been extremely pleased with the growth in liquidity in our poker room in the weeks since launch".

Orbis OpenBet presents seven distinct but compatible software modules that include Sportsbook, Casino, Rake Games, Fixed Odds Games, Exchange, Retail and Marketing. It enables operators to provide their customers the ability to bet and play across multiple products and platforms in a wide variety of languages and currencies, whilst offering a unique ‘One Account, One Wallet' solution.