The unique partnership marks the first time a leading commercial terrestrial television channel has chosen to launch a dedicated P2P skill gaming portal.
Five Play and Win, accessible at playandwin.five.tv and www.five.tv, will offer a full suite of non-download classic multiplayer and ‘heads-up’ games such as Gin Rummy, MahJong, 8-ball Pool as well as a variety of popular Solitaire formats.
Laura Bowes, Commercial Development Manager at Five commented: “Skill Gaming is a new frontier for Five. We are aiming to tie in our broadcast capacity with our skill games offering in order to open up new revenue channels and further narrow the gap between online and TV.”
The announcement also continues GameAccount’s recent emergence in the television arena, having implemented services for Skybet, a division of BSkyB, as well as an advertising agreement and dedicated site with Mintplay.com.
In separate news, Fernhart e-Gambling has won a deal to provide betting games to Finsoft for deployment on betting sites such as Bet365, Stan James, SportingBet and BetFred.
“This is an exciting partnership with Finsoft, and an opportunity for us to use our extensive new media experience and deploy it in an industry where we have significant experience. Online games have been around for a while, but we have provided a new level of innovation that gives them added dimension and makes them more compelling for the user,” said Adrian Wright, MD of Fernhart e-Gambling.
“Online gambling continues to be a fast growing business, and thanks to Fernhart\’s new media experience, we can offer our clients a broader range of innovative product which will set their game portals apart,” said Predrag Popovic, CEO of Finsoft.
Earlier last week, Season5 Gaming announced the launch of their innovative skill-based gaming platform. Season5 Gaming director, Karen Mc Dade, commented: “Our third generation skill gaming platform provides a scalable network of gaming services with a downloadable client that can be easily customised for each gaming operation in terms of skin, gaming content and integration services with existing gaming platforms. Our platform also provides players with everything they would expect from a skill gaming system such as dynamic player ranking, quick and easy access to engaging games, a powerful community focus and multiplayer tournaments.”
Although a relatively new industry, skill gaming is projected to grow substantially within the next few years. At the beginning of June 2006, The Money Gaming Corporation (TMGC) announced an equity investment by IPGL to acquire a 30% stake in TMGC.
IPGL is the private investment vehicle of Michael Spencer, Chief Executive of the world’s largest money broker, ICAP, and founder of spread betting firm City Index and online sportsbook Blue Square.
Calculators
