Playtech to Enter Mahjong Market

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Playtech (LSE: PTEC), the AIM listed international designer, developer and licensor of software for the gambling industry, today announces that it has agreed to exclusive terms
Mahjong (the game of four winds) is more popular than poker worldwide. 
  with TankSoft Inc, one of the foremost specialists in mahjong gaming software.

As a central part of Playtech's strategy to build on its market leading position in Asia and to gain competitive advantage it aims to offer its Licensees the best mahjong products available. After extensive research TankSoft was chosen as the ideal partner in that it is the only company that offers solutions to the major issue of collusion. It also allows Playtech to offer a full range of mahjong games which include country specific versions and various unique and patented features. Playtech expects to be able to offer its Licensees mahjong games by the end of 2006.

TankSoft is a well established and respected company in its gaming field, having been responsible for mahjong products dating back to 2000 and is the holder of several key mahjong patents. Its management team has unparalleled experience with President and CEO, Dr Tai-Up Kim, involved in the game for over 30 years. The company also retains the consultant Mr Ide Yosuke, who has been world mahjong champion on several occasions and has published more than 20 books on mahjong. TankSoft has previously licensed its mahjong programme libraries to Nexon Japan who have been utilizing the TankSoft product on their play for fun sites.

Avigur Zmora, CEO of Playtech, commented: "We have 11 sites that cater specifically to the Asian market that have been requesting mahjong games from us. In order to ensure the quality of product that our licensees have come to expect from Playtech we have been careful to find the best partner in this field. In TankSoft we believe we have found that partner. By the end of 2006 we will have added TankSoft's market leading games and functionality to Playtech's tried and tested core gaming platform which will help us to further penetrate the Asian market."

TankSoft President, Dr Kim, commented: "We are very excited to be working with the industry leader in gaming software for Asia, if not the world. Amongst the many companies that approached us, they were the only ones that recognized the importance of the measures taken to completely negate collusion and the other features that make our games truly unique. The combination of our dynamic and reliable games coupled with Playtech's highly respected platform should result in a world leading mahjong offering."