SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- bwin.party - bwin.party digital entertainment plc ('bwin.party' or the 'Company') and the United Auburn Indian Community ('UAIC'), which owns and operates the Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento, California, announced today that they have entered into a formal agreement to offer online poker services in California if suitable intrastate legislation is enacted in the state.

As a federally recognized California Indian tribe that already operates a casino resort within the state, UAIC would be a qualified license applicant under legislation proposed in the California State Senate and would secure and maintain the necessary licenses to operate online poker services in California. bwin.party would provide the technology and operations expertise to power the services plus related support. The Agreement would be for a 10-year period from the date that online poker services are launched.

Commenting on today's announcement, Jim Ryan and Norbert Teufelberger, the Co-CEOs of bwin.party, said:

"California is the largest state in the U.S. in terms of population and is known to have a significant number of poker players who like to play poker online. Combining our own significant assets and resources with those of UAIC will create a strong partnership that is well-placed to seize the opportunities that will arise if appropriate online poker legislation is enacted in the Golden State."

David Keyser, Tribal Chairman of UAIC commented:

"We see the legalization of Internet poker and other Internet gaming as being inevitable. Having met with representatives from a number of different online gaming companies, bwin.party was our first choice as partner. With its unrivalled expertise in online poker, proven technology and player loyalty we are confident of being able to maximize the revenue opportunity from a regulated online poker market in California and to continue to enhance the long-term prosperity of our community."

On 24 February 2012, Senators Wright and Steinberg introduced legislation to regulate online gaming within California. The Internet Gambling Consumer Protection and Public-Private Partnership Act of 2012 (SB 1463) proposes, inter alia, to regulate license and tax internet poker within the state of California. The current proposed rate of tax is 10% of gross gaming revenue.

Notes for Editors: About bwin.party
bwin.party digital entertainment plc (LSE: BPTY) is the world's largest listed online gaming company. The Company was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc on 31 March 2011. Incorporated, licensed and regulated in Gibraltar, the Group also has licences in France, Italy and Denmark. With offices in Europe, India, Israel and the US, the Group generated total pro forma revenue of euro 816.0m and pro forma Clean EBITDA of euro 199.3m in 2011. bwin.party commands leading market positions in each of its four key product verticals: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world's biggest online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and FoxyBingo. The Group's scale, technology and strong portfolio of games collectively differentiate its customer offer from those of its competitors. bwin.party is a constituent member of the FTSE 250 Index and the FTSE4Good Index Series, which identifies companies that meet globally recognized corporate responsibility standards. For more information about bwin.party, visit www.bwinparty.com.

About UAIC
The re-establishment of the United Auburn Indian Tribe began in the early 1990s when the United States Department of Interior documented the existence of a separate, cohesive band of Maidu and Miwok Indians, occupying a village on the outskirts of the city of Auburn, California. A federally recognized Indian tribe, the United Auburn Indian Community is a sovereign government and owns nearby Thunder Valley Casino Resort.

SOURCE United Auburn Indian Community