WMS to develop games for the UK

LONDON & WAUKEGAN, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2004--WMS Gaming Inc., a subsidiary of WMS Industries Inc. (NYSE: WMS), announced today that it has formed a UK-based subsidiary, WMS Gaming (UK) Limited, to focus on game development and sales and distribution of gaming devices throughout the United Kingdom and other key international markets. The UK entity joins WMS' Sydney, Australia game development studio as the second internationally-focused game development studio, and will create exciting new game content for the UK market and other international territories.

"The creation of a UK operation is consistent with our corporate strategy to be a full service gaming supplier throughout the world," stated Brian Gamache, President and CEO of WMS. "Over the last few years we have achieved great success in international markets and the timing is now appropriate to invest additional resources to accelerate our momentum. With our existing game content soon to be complemented by new games that will be developed by our UK-based development studio, we expect to continue growing our international market share over the next few years."

"Establishing a second internationally-focused game development operation will allow us to continue the expansion of our international business and address the potential for significant new business in the UK," stated Larry Pacey, Vice President of Game Development for WMS. "We are pleased to announce that James Poole, a twenty-year veteran of the entertainment software industry with companies including Eidos Interactive and Twobyfour Software, has joined WMS as Director of our UK-based game development studio. James is an excellent choice to lead our game development efforts as his strong background in interactive entertainment software will help ensure our success in creating unique game content specifically designed for the international markets."

"Now that we can offer our customers a complete product line, robust library of game content, and a new gaming platform and operating system, we can fully serve the gaming device needs of the UK market, which is expected to expand over the next few years," said Seamus McGill, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing of WMS. "UK Gaming operators are already planning to expand their facilities, and others have announced their intentions to build large, Las Vegas-style casinos, all in anticipation of the passage of new regulations for expanded gaming in the UK. Establishing our operations at this point strategically positions WMS to capitalize on new opportunities in the UK."

WMS Gaming is headquartered in Waukegan, IL with regional offices in all major domestic gaming jurisdictions, as well as Barcelona, Spain, Johannesburg, South Africa, Sydney, Australia and soon in the UK.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business conditions and the outlook for the Company based on currently available information that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the financial strength of the gaming industry, the expansion of legalized gaming into new markets and legislative and regulatory changes in existing gaming markets, the development, introduction and success of new games and new technologies and the ability to maintain the scheduling of such introductions, the occurrence of software anomalies that affect our games and the ability of the Company to execute on its technology improvement plan, the ability of the Company to qualify for and maintain gaming licenses and approvals, and other risks more fully described under "Item 1. Business - Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.

WMS Gaming Inc., a subsidiary of WMS Industries Inc., designs, manufactures and markets video and reel-spinning gaming devices and video lottery terminals.

CONTACT: WMS Industries Inc.
Scott Schweinfurth, 847-785-3760
sschweinfurth@wmsgaming.com
OR
Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated
Joseph N. Jaffoni/Richard Land, 212-835-8500
wms@jcir.com

SOURCE: WMS Gaming Inc. 
 
 
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding WMS Industries Inc.'s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.