Gaming News
2004-09-29 13:44 ET - News Release
LAS VEGAS -- (Business Wire) -- Sept. 29, 2004
Product Demonstrations Will Be Available at Stand 4052
Shuffle Master, Inc. (NASDAQ National Market: SHFL) and CARD, a
Shuffle Master International Company, announced today that they will
introduce several new products at this year's Global Gaming Expo being
held in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 5 through 7. In addition to
exhibiting well-established Utility Products like the Ace(R) and Deck
Mate(TM) automatic card shufflers and Entertainment Products like
Three Card Poker(R) and Let It Ride Bonus(R), the two companies will
feature the following:
Utility Products
-- The Easy Chipper(TM), a next-generation chip sorting device
that sorts different size chips quickly and efficiently.
Developed by CARD, the Easy Chipper optimizes roulette wheel
game play by dramatically increasing the volume of chips
sorted, and its patented color reading system accurately sorts
up to 10 different color chips while separating non-programmed
ones.
-- MD-2(TM), a two to eight deck batch shuffler that features an
optional card recognition system enabling it to check decks of
cards by simultaneously reading and verifying every card being
shuffled. This unique shuffler incorporates a patented
platform and gripper system that ensures a smooth, quiet
operation that minimizes card wear and tear.
-- Intelligent Shoe, a smart alternative to a traditional dealing
shoe that reads the rank and suit of each card being dealt and
reduces game manipulation. Developed to increase Baccarat and
Blackjack game security, the Intelligent Shoe holds up to
eight decks of shuffled cards.
Entertainment Products
-- Table Master(TM), an electronic, multiple-player table game
with five player stations that enables casinos to offer table
game hits like Blackjack, Three Card Poker and Let It Ride
Bonus electronically. Featuring a digitized human dealer with
exciting player interaction, Table Master combines the
excitement of table-style action with the latest interactive
video technology to create an innovative gaming experience.
-- Big Raise Hold'em(TM), a new table game featuring head-to-head
play against the dealer and an appealing bonus bet. A
variation of Texas Hold'em, Big Raise has it all: aggressive
betting, bad beats and miracle draws. Players receive two hole
cards that are combined with three community cards to make a
five-card poker hand that goes head-to-head against the
dealer's.
-- 6 Card Poker(TM), an exciting new game where the stronger the
player's hand, the more he can bet. In this game, players
compete against the dealer and against a bonus paytable. Once
players ante and receive their cards, they either fold or stay
in the game and, depending on their hand, they may bet 2x, 4x,
10x or even 20x their ante.
-- Hi-Lo Stud Poker(TM), a new game that rewards both really good
and really bad hands. Players win if they have a pair of 7s or
better, or if their hand is 9-high or worse. Hi-Lo has a 38%
hit frequency--high for a paytable game--and its betting
structure invites aggressive play.
-- Rapid Roulette(TM), a roulette table that enables players to
place their wagers on a computer generated Roulette table
layout. Developed by Stargames Corporation Ltd. and Crown
Ltd., Shuffle Master will be the exclusive distributor for
North and South America, the Caribbean and cruise ships.
"The significant development our Utility Products segment has
undergone during the last year is evident in the new products we will
be displaying at G2E," stated David Lopez, Vice President of Product
Management. "The MD-2 batch shuffler with card recognition
dramatically enhances a casino's ability to secure game play on tables
using multiple decks, and our Intelligent Shoe brings an unprecedented
level of game security to baccarat and blackjack tables. The Easy
Chipper's patented new technology enhances the roulette chip sorting
process by operating both faster and more efficiently than the other
products in the field. We are confident its superior features will be
welcomed by the gaming industry."
Paul C. Meyer, President and Chief Operating Officer, commented
that this year Shuffle Master will display more table games than ever
before. "Our G2E Entertainment Products line-up features eight
well-established specialty games, and the three new titles we are
releasing have already received positive feedback. We are confident
that Big Raise Hold'em, 6 Card Poker and Hi-Lo Stud Poker will be well
received by the industry and help casinos expand their table offerings
and increase their table revenues. Additionally, our electronic table
game platform Table Master will broaden the reach and popularity of
our specialty table games by offering our customers another format for
table game play."
This release contains forward-looking statements that are based on
management's beliefs 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; competitive advances; acceleration and/or deceleration of
various product development and roll out schedules; product
performance issues; higher than expected manufacturing, service,
selling, administrative, product development and/or roll out 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 vendors; current and/or
future litigation or claims; acquisitions or divestitures by the
Company or its competitors of various product lines or businesses;
changes to the Company's intellectual property portfolio, such as 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, etc.) involving the Company and its
products specifically or the gaming industry in general; general and
casino industry economic conditions; and the financial health of the
Company's casino and distributor customers, suppliers and
distributors, both nationally and internationally. 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 quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form
10-K.
Contacts:Shuffle Master, Inc., Las Vegas
Mark L. Yoseloff or Paul C. Meyer, 702-897-7150
Fax: 702-270-5161
or
Investor Relations Advisors
Tom Ryan/Don Duffy, 203-222-9013
Fax: 203-222-9372

- posted by Michael P. Whelan @ 9:23 PM