ARE Arena Events Group Plc

RNS Number:1171X
Arena Leisure PLC
12 June 2002


                               Arena Leisure Plc

                 attheraces launches telephone betting service

Arena Leisure Plc, the racecourse operator, gaming technology provider and media
rights owner, is pleased to announce that attheraces plc, its horseracing and
gaming joint venture in partnership with BSkyB and Channel 4, has launched a new
telephone betting service.


The telephone betting service, attheraces telebet, complements the
attheraces.co.uk internet betting platform, and its digital television channel.
Customers will be able to bet through all platforms using the same attheraces
account number.


attheraces telebet accepts bets on all UK horse races. In due course this will
be extended to overseas racing.


Ian Penrose, Group Managing Director of Arena Leisure, said:


"attheraces continues to make progress in expanding its customer offering. In
whichever way punters prefer to bet, they will be able to do so through one of
attheraces' platforms - internet, telephone and soon interactive digital
television."


The full text of attheraces statement is reproduced below.

For further information please contact

Nick Davis

Director of Communications

Arena Leisure Plc                   020 7495 2277

Caroline Sturdy/Miles Bake

Bell Pottinger Financial            020 7861 3863



About Arena Leisure


Formed in 1997, Arena Leisure Plc is a leading racecourse operator, gaming
technology provider and media rights owner. It is the UK's largest independent
racecourse owner in terms of fixtures, hosting over 1500 races per year at its
six racecourses. In 2001, Arena's racecourses staged approximately 20 per cent
of all British horseracing fixtures, betting on which accounted for some 16 per
cent of the total British off-course betting revenues.


Together with its partners in attheraces, BSkyB and Channel 4, Arena acquired
the majority of media rights to UK horseracing for a period of up to 10 years
from July 2001. attheraces will exploit the media rights associated with live
racing across all technology and media platforms and in many territories around
the world. The first platform (www.attheraces.co.uk) went live on the Internet
in December 2001, and the attheraces interactive Digital Television Channel went
live on Sky on 1 May 2002 (channel 418).


Arena has a technology partnership with Scientific Games Corporation of the USA
and has developed TrackPlayTM gaming software. This software allows racing
organisations to provide their customers with the ability to view live or
archive races, research race information and place bets remotely. This software
can be adapted for use on current and future technology platforms including the
telephone, Internet, interactive Digital Television and mobile devices.


Arena Leisure is listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information about
Arena Leisure Plc, please visit our corporate website at
www.arenaleisureplc.com.



                              attheraces statement

               ATTHERACES OPENS TELEPHONE BETTING - 0800 0838383

attheraces has launched its third service, telephone betting, on 0800 0838383.
This third platform supports its website, initiated in December last year, and
its digital TV channel on Sky 418. Importantly, customers will be able to bet
with attheraces telebet, attheraces.co.uk and later this summer on attheraces
iDTV using the same account number.


attheraces telephone bets are received and processed at its dedicated call
centre in Glasgow, managed by 50 customer service agents and attheraces
management staff. The call centre is serviced by Teletech - one of the World's
leading customer service providers.

On dialling 0800 0838383 callers will have three choices:

     1. Bet
     2. Registration

     3. Other enquiries - i.e. account balance, general queries. From these
        initial choices customers will be routed to the appropriate Customer
        Service Agent


attheraces telebet will accept bets on all UK races. This service will expand
later in the year in tandem with attheraces' plan to broadcast regular overseas
race meetings on its iDTV channel.


Chris Stoddart, CEO of attheraces, stated: "This telebet facility, our third
service, will allow our customers to access attheraces anywhere and at any time.
We want to provide customers with a complete racing information service, live
pictures, live audio and access to betting through as many platforms as possible
using just one account number."


For further information please contact:

Simon Cooper:          attheraces          020 7291 1692 / 07973 150034

Hannah Walker:         attheraces          020 7291 1690 / 07971 598287

Ends:                  11 June 2002



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