PartyGaming Announces New Platform Launch

Monday, October 10th, 2005

PartyGaming Plc (PRTY), the world's leading online gaming company, announces today that it has taken a further step towards establishing a new fully integrated PartyGaming operating platform. This platform will, on launch, offer a variety of different games but with a common systems architecture allowing each of its nine million registered PartyPoker customers to use a single account and a shared purse across the Group’s gaming brands.

As part of today’s development, the Group has moved the PartyPoker.com brand and all of its players to the new platform.

Historically, PartyPoker players have shared the same poker-only system with players from each of the Group’s four white label poker clients or “skins” (being Empire Poker, Coral Eurobet, Multipoker and Intertops). Following today’s move, PartyPoker players will now play on their own private tables and benefit from a number of new and exciting products that are exclusive to the new platform. The new platform includes non-poker games such as Blackjack, as well as added features to the poker product such as Side Bets and Deal-Making in poker tournaments. Once the fully integrated platform is launched in the first half of 2006, players will then be able to click through and play on PartyPoker, PartyCasino and other new PartyGaming products that are currently being developed, all using a common account and a shared purse.

The skins’ poker players will continue to have full access to the existing poker system. They will also now benefit from the release of several new product enhancements comprising “beginners’ tables” – these include “micro-limit tables” and low buy-in tables – and $50/$100 and $100/$200 tables. PokerNOW.com, which was acquired by the Group earlier in the year, will continue to operate on the existing poker system with the skins.

Commenting on today’s announcement Richard Segal, Chief Executive said:

“We are on track to deliver our exclusive Party-branded integrated platform that will include additional products and services, enabling us to focus on optimising cross-selling opportunities. We believe that today’s development is an important step towards cementing together the inherent strengths of all the Party brands and is in the best interests of our customers and shareholders. In conjunction with this exciting development, we will continue to maintain and support the poker system we provide for the skins.”

About PartyGaming

Founded in 1997, PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading online gaming company and owns and operates PartyPoker.com, the world’s largest online poker room. Other online gaming activities include casino, principally through StarluckCasino.com and also online bingo through PartyBingo.com.

Since 30 June 2005, PartyGaming Plc has been listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY. In the year to 31 December 2004, the Group had revenues of $601.6m (of which skins represented 2.3%) and generated earnings before interest, depreciation and amortisation of $387.8m and profit before tax of $371.7m.

Regulated and licensed by the Government of Gibraltar, the Group has over 1,200 employees located in the head office and operations centre in Gibraltar, a business process outsourcing operation in Hyderabad, India and a marketing services subsidiary in London. The Group has customers in over 170 countries.

New options at PartyPoker.com

Side Bets

Side Bets are a new and fun way to place wagers based on the outcome of the flop on real money tables. Whether you are a seated player or just watching you can place a Side Bet on real money Texas Hold’em and Omaha tables.

A Side Bet is a bet on whether or not the flop will be all red or all black. The flop is the first three community cards that are dealt in Texas Hold’em and Omaha. All red means that all three cards come up as the colour red (diamonds and / or hearts) and all black means that all three cards come up as the colour black (spades and / or clubs). Side Bets that are placed will be valid for the next hand that is being dealt.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a casino game that is now available on PartyPoker.com.

The objective of Blackjack is to accumulate cards with point totals as close to 21 without going over 21. The value of a hand is the sum of the point counts of each card in the hand.

Ø The cards from 2 through 9 are valued as indicated

Ø Face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are all valued at 10 points

Ø An ace is valued at either 1 point or 11 points

Ø The game is available only in ‘Real Money’ mode

Ø The minimum bet in the game is $1.00 and the maximum bet is $200.00. Maximum bet applies for the initial bet of the game

Ø Eight decks are used in the Blackjack game and each deck has 52 cards

Ø The deck is shuffled after 10% of the cards in the decks are used

Ø The dealer draws a card on soft 17 and stands on 17 or more

Ø Maximum splits allowed = 3

Deal-Making

Seated players at final tables of tournaments (where the only prizes are cash payouts) will have the ability to stop the game play and make a deal for the remaining prize pool. If a deal is struck then payments will be made. If the deal is for the entire remaining prize pool then the tournament ends early, if not then the game resumes for the balance of the prize pool less the deal amount. PartyGaming will not need a human facilitator for any deal, rather it simply provides a tool allowing the players to chat, negotiate and settle on a deal should they so wish.

Contacts:

PartyGaming Plc
+44 (0)20 7337 0100

Peter Reynolds
Director of Investor Relations

John Shepherd
Director of Corporate Communications