The ITV fixed-odds gaming channel, the Winner Channel, which up until now has only been available on digital cable in the UK, is going to be available on mobile phones and the Internet.  It follows a deal between interactive TV applications developer, Two Way TV and interactive TV games company, Zone4Play.  They have called the project Two Way Gaming which aims to bring a much wider audience to the Winner Channel.

Players will be able to use a single account across all three platforms.  Two Way TV and Zone4Play have been working together for the last four years and are looking to attract customers through the TV platform to activate and monetise them through their complimentary platforms.

The Winner Channel has been on air since last year and it was the first interactive TV games service in UK to have “instant-win” fixed-odds gaming.  The channel features a range of “instant-win” fixed-odd games such as, Slots, Hi-Lo, Keno, Dice and even a poker game called Face Up Hold’em.  All of these games can be played by pressing the red button on digital cable TV.

Players can win a jackpot of up to £500,000 which will be the highest by a UK fixed-odds mobile service.  Mobile players will also be attracted to the channel by being offered £5 in free bets upon joining, and a loyalty program allowing players to build up points which can then be exchanged for cash and other prizes.  By last October, The Winner Channel had accumulated 15,000 registered users.

Zone4Play is the Winner Channel’s sole technology partner, and its agreement with Two Way TV entitles the company to 45 percent of net revenue made from the channel.

Two Way TV’s commercial director, Guy Templer who is also going to be the MD of Two Way Gaming, said about the new launch; “With mobile and Internet launches, we are taking Winner to the next level.”

“It has always been about fun, entertaining betting propositions, but now we can bring our games to a bigger audience.  We are not stopping here though – over the next couple of months, we will be announcing a series of distribution deals with leading media brand owners to distribute our games.  There will also be a series of games based on major TV programs.”

Two Way Gaming is to take over the running of all Two Way TV’s programmes which include Red Hot Roulette and Face Up Hold’Em as well as its white label deals with Channel Five, Teletext and newspaper The Sun.

Guy Templar added, “With the collapse of the call TV market and premium rate telephony competitions on television, it has become very clear that there are significant market opportunities in bringing dynamic entertainment gaming products to TV audiences.”

Print version