5/12/2001 Sprint and Digital Bridges developing play for fun casino games
Sprint PCS?s latest addition to its wireless web network, a host of interactive games -- including play-for-fun roulette and craps, appears to be setting it on the path towards developing wireless, hand-held, casino-style gambling devices.
Sprint appears to be following in the footsteps of Nokia, who only six month?s ago, selected the developer of a casino platform for cell phones as its second place winner in its "WAP Hothouse Asia Pacific 2000" competition. It also appears to be going one further than Nokia since Nokia spokesman Keith Nowak said the competition was an attempt to encourage people to use cell phones, and is not planning to implement the casino game in its service.
A Sprint PCS spokeswoman, Suzanne Lammers emphasized the fact that Sprint?s games-developing partner, Digital Bridges of Scotland, was developing games for pure entertainment purposes and was not planning on entering the play-for-real industry. "Since we've launched games on our cell phones last fall, we've seen tremendous uptake and it has become very popular with our customers, who are able to entertain themselves while waiting for a bus or sitting in an airport," Lammers continued.
Digital Bridges spokesman John Grotland, said that the company's current goal is to expand into making wireless web video games that allow cell phone users to compete with each other. Despite Sprint PCS?s disclaimer in their news release announcing its partnership with Digital Bridges - "these games are strictly for entertainment and involve no gambling" - Internet gambling analyst Sebastian Sinclair of Christiansen Capital Advisors, believes that that the companies like Digital Bridges may adapt themselves as the internet gambling market develops and companies see the huge revenue potential.
Sprint PCS plans to launch the casino games within a month, together with other multi-player games, such as Tank Battle and Fight KO.
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