Cryptologic Strides into Asia

“The history of Mahjong lies in ancient China. Today it has a following of over 600 million worldwide,” said Brian Hadfield, CryptoLogic's President and CEO. “We are about to bring the game back to where it all started. We will be working in Asia with partners who share our vision.”

CryptoLogic has agreed to invest up to $2.5 million for a significant minority equity stake in Mahjong Time, subject to certain performance thresholds and milestones. The deal is expected to close within the next 30 days. The Asian company has created a patented platform which it will manage by a team with in-depth Mahjong experience.

Hadfield claims that Mahjong Time has a number of unique advantages for operators, including more rule sets than any other provider, multiple language versions of its software and advanced gaming features such as play, watch and archive modes.

Players benefit from a practice mode that teaches the game to newcomers as well as a secure and robust environment featuring no-download software that supports both subscription and tournament play. Players from 136 countries enjoy social networking through advanced community features at Mahjong Time such as an advanced avatar shop, personalization engine, friends list, rated competitions and a patented visual “belt” rating and ranking system - all of which are keys to Web 2.0 success in gaming.

The company is also the exclusive online software and platform provider for the World Series of Mahjong, the biggest prize money tournament in the history of the game. Global TV coverage of the WSOM over the next three years will provide a platform to reach millions of enthusiasts across Asia and beyond.

“As a game, Mahjong is both about strategy and community, and that's the approach we have taken to building our software and our business,” said William Sutjiadi, CEO of Mahjong Time. “CryptoLogic is a producer of great innovation and great software, and together we will build a business with huge global potential.”

Mahjong Time is the official online partner of the North American Mahjong Federation, the European Mahjong Association and national associations in ten European countries, and has developed MORSE, a unique, officially-certified rating system for use in online tournaments.

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