BARNSTEAD, N.H. and CHONGQING, China, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Pay88, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PAYI) announced today that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Sohu.com Inc. (Nasdaq: SOHU). Through its subsidiary, Qianbao Technology, Pay88 will act as a distributor of SOHU digital products, with a particular focus on mobile phone games.
With more than 100 million users and 700 million site visits per day, Sohu.com Inc., is one of the leading internet media companies in China with revenues of over $429 million USD in 2008, 2.3 times that of fiscal 2007. Sohu provides millions of Chinese consumers with information, communication and entertainment services through its matrix of websites and offers two types of consumer services -- online games (including the massively popular multi-player online role-playing games "Tian Long Ba Bu" and "Blade Online"), and wireless connectivity.
Pay88 is one of the few companies in China capable of facilitating online banking and is also the leading reseller of internet game time in China's booming $2.75 billion online video game market, selling online multiplayer game time and prepaid cards in more than 20 cities in China. The venture with Sohu takes the company mobile for the first time and company officials say the timing and the opportunity couldn't be better.
According to analysts at Niko Partners, China will be home to 119 million online gamers by 2012, propelling the market to $8.9 billion by 2013. And Forbes reports the online gaming community is growing by an average of 4 million new players each month. An alliance with Sohu positions Pay88 to dramatically expand their reach into this massive market.
Guo Fan, Chairman and President of Pay88, said, "Pay88's large customer base and payment platform makes this agreement with SOHU an exciting opportunity for both companies." He added, "As a result of this new relationship, Qianbao Technology will now be able to offer mobile games to the domestic market in China."
Company officials say forging this agreement with Sohu represents a powerful step forward in expanding their footprint throughout China. Over the coming year, the company will continue to develop and improve its internet gaming platform, expand its distribution websites, and increase its overall product line, as well as expand into many additional cities in China.
About Pay88, Inc.
Pay88, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Chongqing Qianbao Technology, Ltd., is a rapidly growing digital technology company and the leading reseller of internet game time in China with over $19.7 million USD in revenues in 2008, a 134.8% increase over revenues in 2007. The company is primarily engaged in the sale of prepaid online multi-player game cards in more than 20 cities in China, an industry that generated $2.75 billion in 2008 and is expected to reach $3.8 billion by the end of 2009. In addition, The Company sells prepaid telephone cards and over 800 software products, including cooking, language and education software.
Qianbao sells its game cards through its websites, http://www.iamseller.com and http://www.17logo.com, which has more than 1 million registered users. The Company has successfully captured more than 80% of the online multi-player game time market in Chongqing, a municipality of more than 31 million people, and the third fastest-growing regional economy in China. Pay88 leverages such consumer establishments as retail kiosks and internet cafes to increase its distribution of highly popular games for an increasing number of gaming companies.
For additional information visit:
http://www.Pay88.com
http://www.iamseller.com/English/Index.aspx
Tel: +86-23-6775-7997
Fax: +86-23-6775-7887
Email: China@pay88.com
Forward Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this news release, including without limitation, statements related to Pay88's outlook for 2009, which are based on management expectations, are considered forward looking statements. Investors and prospective investors are cautioned about factors which have in some cases affected Pay88's actual results and could affect its actual results and cause them to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward looking statements. Actual results may also differ due to factors over which the Company has no control including general economic and business conditions, earthquakes or effects of war or terrorists acts on the capital markets or on company activities. Please refer to Risk Factors contained in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2009.
