13.03.2002
MGM MIRAGE (NYSE:MGG) Selects WagerWorks as Content and Technology Partner for Online Casino
Partners with Orbis to Create Industry’s Most Compelling and Credible Online Casino and Sportsbook Solution
SAN FRANCISCO, CA and LAS VEGAS – March 13, 2002 – WagerWorks, Inc., the leading technology and content provider for the online gaming industry, announced today it has been selected by MGM MIRAGE (NYSE:MGG) to develop its online casinos. MGM MIRAGE, headquartered in Las Vegas, owns and/or operates through subsidiaries 19 casino properties on three continents. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
WagerWorks, which has been the content and technology provider for MGM MIRAGE’s online prize site since its inception in March, 2001, develops and markets a comprehensive Internet gaming system that enables gaming operators in regulated markets to implement a complete online casino solution. WagerWorks’ technology and high quality content allows these companies to increase customer acquisition and maintain a highly interactive relationship with their end-users. WagerWorks has recently completed the integration of WagerWare with Orbis’ OpenBet sportsbook system, which has also been selected by MGM MIRAGE. Target customers include online and brick and mortar casinos that currently operate in regulated markets and international online businesses (e-commerce companies, portals/search engines, online communities, etc.).
“The popularity of MGM MIRAGE’s prize site can be attributed to WagerWorks’ unparalleled content suite,” said Bill Hornbuckle, president and COO of MGM MIRAGE Online. “Their proven record of delivering reliable and innovative technology solutions for online gaming, coupled with their team’s 50 plus years of collective experience in the fully regulated gaming industry, makes WagerWorks and Orbis the ideal partners to help us establish our international online gaming presence.”
In order to concentrate on the international expansion of its online gaming initiative, MGM MIRAGE will phase out the points program on May 1 for its U.S. prize gaming site at www.PLAYMGMMIRAGE.com. The site will remain live and continue to offer the finest online gaming content available.
“WagerWorks is excited to be the partner of choice for the development of MGM MIRAGE’s online casinos,” added Andrew Pascal, CEO of WagerWorks. “We’ve been working closely with Orbis on a fully integrated system that leverages our robust casino gaming platform with their proven sports offering. Our relationship with MGM MIRAGE is the first in a series of upcoming announcements that will showcase how WagerWorks’ technology can help established brands leverage the Internet to expand their business operations.”
“We are very enthusiastic about our relationship with MGM MIRAGE and our partnership with WagerWorks,” noted Charles Malir, vice president of marketing at Orbis. “We have demonstrated our expertise in the area of online sports systems and MGM MIRAGE’s selection of us through our partnership with WagerWorks reaffirms this. We firmly believe that the WagerWare system from WagerWorks combined with our Openbet sports engine, will be recognized as the most compelling and credible online solution in the marketplace.”
"The international marketplace offers the greatest opportunities for gaming in a cash environment," said Marc Falcone, managing director of gaming and leisure research with Bear Sterns. "WagerWorks’ content, technology, and strategic relationships (with established brands like MGM MIRAGE) makes them unquestionably well‑positioned to capture a significant share of the market."
About WagerWorks
WagerWorks, Inc. develops and markets a complete Internet gaming solution that enables established casino companies in regulated markets to leverage their market position and brand equity online. As a veteran of the traditional casino industry, WagerWorks has adhered to the highest standards imposed by the U.S. regulatory authorities. Founded in April of 2000 by Silicon Gaming, Inc., the company has implemented a broad line of products with unparalleled integrity and un-matched quality, including the Odyssey slot machine and accompanying library of innovative game titles.
About MGM MIRAGE
MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGG) is an entertainment, hotel and gaming company headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, which owns and/or operates through subsidiaries 19 casino properties on three continents. Its U.S. holdings include: Bellagio, the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino -- The City of Entertainment, The Mirage, Treasure Island, New York -- New York Hotel and Casino, the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino and 50% of Monte Carlo, all located on the Las Vegas Strip; the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas; Whiskey Pete's, Buffalo Bill's, the Primm Valley Resort and two championship golf courses at the California/Nevada state line; the exclusive Shadow Creek golf course in North Las Vegas; the Golden Nugget in Laughlin, Nevada; the Beau Rivage resort on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; and the MGM Grand Detroit Casino in Detroit, Michigan. The Company is a joint venture partner on Borgata at Renaissance Pointe, a resort under development in Atlantic City, New Jersey and also controls several development sites in the oceanfront resort community. Internationally, MGM MIRAGE owns and operates the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Darwin, Australia and manages casinos in Nelspruit, Witbank, Johannesburg and East London, Republic of South Africa. For more information on MGM MIRAGE and its operating subsidiaries, visit our website at www.mgmmirage.com. Statements in this release which are not historical facts are “forward looking” statements and “safe harbor statements” under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and/or uncertainties, including risks and/or uncertainties as described in the Company’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Orbis
Orbis is a UK company that leads global technology developments in interactive betting over multiple platforms. Orbis' software powers the betting sites of more than 11 of the world's major bookmakers and media organizations including Ladbrokes (the UK's largest bookmaker), Blue Square, the UK Tote, Paddy Power, Stanley Leisure and BSkyB. Based in West London, the company is wholly owned by NDS Group plc (NASDAQ/NASDAQ Europe: NNDS).
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