[February 08, 2006] Shuffle Master, Inc. and Sona Mobile, Inc. Announce Launch of Wireless Gaming Product Line; Product Line to Include All Shuffle Master Proprietary Table Game Content Tweet LAS VEGAS --(Business Wire)-- Feb. 8, 2006 -- Shuffle Master, Inc. (NASDAQ National Market: SHFL) and Sona Mobile Holdings Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: SNMB.OB) today announced the launch of their wireless gaming product line that will enable players to conduct their preferred wagering activities from mobile devices. As part of their previously announced strategic alliance, Shuffle Master and Sona Mobile will license, develop, distribute and market wireless gaming delivery systems that enable both in-casino WiFi gaming as well as off-property wagering from mobile devices within areas where mobilized gaming is permitted. Commercial availability for both platform versions is anticipated in late calendar 2006. The announcement precedes the Nevada Gaming Commission's February 23 hearing where the Commission is expected to finalize the rules and regulations governing wireless in-casino gaming that are scheduled to be approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board March 23. Shuffle Master and Sona Mobile debuted their wireless product line January 24-26 at the International Casino Exhibition in London where they hosted a wireless tournament featuring Shuffle Master's new hold-em style game Ultimate Texas Hold'em(TM) to showcase the exceptional flexibility of the wireless platform and demonstrate the wireless gaming system's superior functionality. Built on the Sona Wireless Platform(TM), a wireless solution relied on by many leading financial institutions, the Shuffle Master-branded wireless gaming system will feature handheld versions of Shuffle Master's proprietary table game content as well as other popular public-domain casino games and Sona's proprietary mWager(TM) race and sports book platform. "The launch of our wireless casino product line represents a significant accomplishment for Shuffle Master and reflects our dedication to increasing the productivity and profitability of the gaming industry by introducing new ways for entertainment content to be delivered," stated Mark L. Yoseloff, Ph.D., Shuffle Master Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Wireless in-casino and mobile wagering not only provides our Company with another delivery system for our proprietary content, but also extends our reach into other areas of the casino and into the potentially lucrative mobile gaming market. We look forward to wireless gaming becoming an important product offering of casinos worldwide and believe that it will be embraced by the next generation of gamers who will appreciate the flexibility of mobilized gaming." "We are pleased to be partnering with the foremost provider of traditional, and soon wireless, table gaming content," commented Shawn Kreloff, Sona Mobile Chairman and Entertainment and Gaming Division Managing Director. "Over the past decade, wireless technology's use has propagated far beyond its traditional communication-based applications, and extending its reach into the gaming industry to mobilize the wagering process is a logical next step given the heightened security and activity tracking our wireless platform provides. We look forward to introducing the first phase of our whole-casino content offering, and eagerly anticipate the impact our innovative wireless casino solution will have on the face of gaming in the future." The following are brief descriptions of the wireless system components: -- mCasino (Table Games and Slots) By electronically replicating realistic table and slot machine game play on secure handheld devices, mCasino provides casinos with the ability to dramatically increase the gaming activity taking place while simultaneously giving players access to more entertainment content. Featuring mobilized versions of Shuffle Master's proprietary table game content, it can accommodate a virtually unlimited number of players while offering flexible bet minimums and maximums. And, with the gaming engine and random number generators run on secure servers located within the casino's data center rather than on individual devices, mCasino delivers a secure, rapid gaming experience supported by an extensive back-of-house system that provides real-time monitoring and accounting for all instances of wager activity. -- mWager (Race and Sports book) mWager enables players to place wagers, conduct pre-event research and receive immediate access to event-related alerts and post-event information from wireless devices anywhere within permitted gaming areas. Additionally, using Sona's Multi-Threading Technology, players are also able to receive a variety of simultaneous data streams including real-time race or sporting event video coverage from their wireless device while continuing to place wagers and review their existing wagers and balances. Three Card Poker(R) Demo Version To showcase the flexibility of Shuffle Master and Sona Mobile's wireless platform, a downloadable version of Three Card Poker for play on Blackberry devices is available at www.shufflemaster.com. Additional trial downloads for other mobile platforms will be available in the future. Shuffle Master, Inc. is a gaming supply company specializing in providing its casino customers Utility Products, including automatic card shufflers, roulette chip sorters and intelligent table system modules, to improve their profitability, productivity and security, and Entertainment Products, including live proprietary table games, electronic multi-player table game platforms, live table game tournaments and wireless gaming solutions to expand their gaming entertainment content. The Company is included in the S&P Smallcap 600 Index. Information about the Company and its products can be found on the Internet at www.shufflemaster.com. Sona Mobile Inc. is a leading provider of secure mobile solutions for access to financial and enterprise information, and entertainment and gaming applications. Through its technology, Sona is able to deliver a rich client experience without compromising performance or security. The Sona Wireless Platform (SWP) architecture works across a wide range of mobile devices and operating systems, including Research in Motion's BlackBerry and Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile lines. Additional information can be found at www.sonamobile.com This release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management's current beliefs and expectations about future events, as well as on assumptions made by and information available to management. The Company considers such statements to be made under the safe harbor created by the federal securities laws to which it is subject, and assumes no obligation to update or supplement such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, the following: changes in the level of consumer or commercial acceptance of the Company's existing products and new products as introduced; advances by competitors; acceleration and/or deceleration of various product development, promotion and distribution schedules; product performance issues; higher than expected manufacturing, service, selling, administrative, product development, promotion and/or distribution costs; changes in the Company's business systems or in technologies affecting the Company's products or operations; reliance on strategic relationships with distributors and technology and manufacturing vendors; results from current and/or future litigation or claims; tax matters, including changes in tax legislation or assessments by taxing authorities; acquisitions or divestitures by the Company or its competitors of various product lines or businesses and, in particular, integration of businesses that the Company may acquire; changes to the Company's intellectual property portfolio, such as the issuance of new patents, new intellectual property licenses, loss of licenses, claims of infringement or invalidity of patents; regulatory and jurisdictional issues (e.g., technical requirements and changes, delays in obtaining necessary approvals, or changes in a jurisdiction's regulatory scheme or approach, etc.) involving the Company and its products specifically or the gaming industry in general; general and casino industry economic conditions; the financial health of the Company's casino and distributor customers, suppliers and distributors, both nationally and internationally; the Company's ability to meet its debt service obligations, including the Notes, and to refinance its indebtedness, which will depend on its future performance and other conditions or events and will be subject to many factors that are beyond the Company's control; and various risks related to the Company's customers' operations in countries outside the United States, including currency fluctuation risks, which could increase the volatility of the Company's results from such operations. Additional information on these and other risk factors that could potentially affect the Company's financial results may be found in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]