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EMPIRE ONLINE HAS AN ACQUISITION CACHE OF $259 MILLION
Published: 2006-04-27
 First quarter revenues dip, but plenty of cash in the bank for Israeli group, and casino revenues triple
The sale to Party Gaming of Empire Poker may have slowed down revenues in the first quarter, but it has provided the Israeli Internet gambling group Empire Online with an extremely healthy bank balance...and they're out looking for acquisitions according to its latest trading report.
The group reported a slight decline in first quarter gaming revenues this week, but said it now had up to $259 million (GBP 145 million) available for acquisitions.
Total first-quarter net gaming revenue was $21.1 million, compared to $22.5 million in the preceding quarter and $24.4 million a year ago.
Casino revenues nearly tripled year-on-year to $15.3 million, but poker revenues fell by 69 percent to $5.8 million, following the $250 million sale of Empire Poker to industry leader PartyGaming in February.
Empire said it now had $259 million of cash on its balance sheet at the end of the first quarter.
"The company now has the financial strength to diversify both its product and geographical exposure outside of the USA through value enhancing acquisitions," it said in a statement. "Empire Online is actively seeking to acquire complementary gaming businesses in such areas as sports betting, skill-based gaming and soft-gaming niches such as bingo," it added.
The company has not given up on poker - it runs the successful Noble Poker operation and a spokesman said: "In addition, the company is exploring further poker and casino acquisitions."
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Expert Insight(TM) Launches ``Beating Blackjack with Andy Bloch,'' the Second in a Series of Unique Instructional DVDs
Published: 2006-04-25
 HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2006--Expert Insight ("EI") announces the release of its second DVD title "Beating Blackjack with Andy Bloch."
Imagine being a new recruit on the infamous M.I.T. blackjack team and learning how they legally won millions from casinos by counting cards. With the release of "Beating Blackjack with Andy Bloch" -- the new DVD from Expert Insight -- imagination becomes reality. Andy Bloch, a former manager of the team and a poker celebrity in his own right, teaches the main strategies and tactics used by the M.I.T. blackjack team.
As with EI's acclaimed first title "Final Table Poker with Phil Gordon," the viewer will "get inside the mind of the expert," hearing what Bloch is thinking as he and his team make winning decisions in a fictional casino. This DVD covers everything from basic strategy and counting, to bet spreading, camouflage, and team play. In "Beating Blackjack" the viewer experiences the excitement, drama, and tension as Bloch plays against the house.
"Although I can see why 'Bringing Down the House,' Ben Mezrich's book about the M.I.T. team's exploits, was a best seller, the book didn't go far enough," Bloch said. "With this DVD I wanted to go on record and teach people that you can still win at blackjack, and you don't have to be a genius or a math whiz. With card counting and camouflaged team play, you can swing the advantage from the house to yourself!" Bloch was also quick to add, "What I teach in my DVD is completely legal. Even the Supreme Court of Nevada has upheld the legality of blackjack card counting and camouflage."
Expert Insight's Founder and CEO, Phil Gordon, says, "We are extremely excited about our second title. We're very pleased that 'Beating Blackjack' is already producing winners, and we look forward to hearing many more success stories. We deeply believe that our experiential, 'inside the mind' teaching approach is the best way to educate and engage our viewers. The Expert Insight philosophy applies perfectly to almost any category of instruction: poker, golf (due Summer 2006), sports, video games, self defense, nutrition & health, and countless more."
About Andy Bloch
Andy Bloch is a former member and manager of the M.I.T. Blackjack Team, featured in the New York Times best seller, "Bringing Down the House" (Mezrich.) He earned a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in engineering from M.I.T. and law degree from Harvard University. His celebrity in conjunction with the M.I.T. Blackjack Team has been featured in the documentary "The Hot Shoe" (2003), Fox's "The Casino" (2004), the BBC Horizon show "Making Millions the Easy Way" (2005), and GSN's recent expose "Anything to Win" (2006). Bloch is also ranked among the top professional poker players in the world with two final table finishes at the World Series of Poker and his 2005 win at the Ultimate Poker Challenge II championship event. Only Andy knows how much he has won so far playing blackjack.
About Expert Insight
Expert Insight is an innovative educational media company that connects people with the world's leading experts through products that are experiential, entertaining, and engaging. Founded in 2005, the EI mission is to enrich the lives of their customers by expanding their knowledge and improving their abilities. EI's flagship products are company-produced DVDs, which bring the viewer "inside the mind" of the expert while they ply their craft. By combining groundbreaking teaching methodology with cinematic techniques, EI delivers the most engaging educational content on the market. In addition to instructional DVDs, EI is expanding the brand to include premium web-based instruction and content on ExpertInsight.com; the Expert Insight Speaker's Series; Expert Insight Books & CDs; and the Expert Insight Store.
Expert Insight -- Get Inside the Mind of the Expert(TM)
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