RealNetworks Acquires Iconic Social Game Slingo

SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- RealNetworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK) today announced the acquisition of Slingo, Inc. A unique combination of Bingo and slots, Slingo is one of the most popular social casino games on the Internet. Currently more than 4.5 million people play versions of Slingo each month on Facebook, and millions more play it on mobile handsets, on slingo.com, and in physical slot machines in casinos around the world. 

Rob Glaser, founder and interim CEO of RealNetworks, announced the acquisition during a keynote speech today at Casual Connect in San Francisco. The acquisition was completed in the second quarter of this year for $15.6 million.  

"We are thrilled to have acquired Slingo, one of the most beloved products and brands in social casino gaming," Glaser said. "We look forward to bringing Slingo – an extremely fun combination of slots and bingo – to even more fans around the world. Our team is hard at work creating even more compelling new versions of Slingo for Facebook, iPhone, iPad and Android."

For the past 17 years, Slingo, Inc. has leveraged the game's popularity across platforms that have engaged legions of fans:

• Facebook – Launched in February 2012. When heavily marketed, a version of Slingo had more than 50 Million monthly active users (MAUs) on Facebook, and today has over 4.5 Million MAUs 
• iOS and Android  – Slingo Supreme for iOS is consistently ranked as the No. 1 paid casino app on iTunes
• Bingo halls and casinos – Slingo-branded slot machines launched in 2001 and are featured in more than 300 casinos across the U.S.
• Lottery and pull-tab tickets – Over $1 billion in Slingo-branded tickets sold through more than 200 licensed lottery games
• AOL, Nintendo, Kindle, CD-ROM and handheld electronic games

"Slingo has been a successful, compelling product on every major games platform over the past 15 years," said Rich Roberts, CEO of Slingo. "By joining forces with RealNetworks, we look forward to taking Slingo to the next level. We're thrilled to be joining RealNetworks' GameHouse division."

About Slingo, Inc.
Established in 1996, Slingo, Inc. was one of the first casual games companies and is currently one of the leading cross-media gaming companies worldwide. It currently develops and licenses the intellectual property for the Slingo® brand of games, to include casual and social games; casino slot machines and table games; lottery tickets, TV programming and more. The Slingo brand reaches over 55 million people through casino slots, online, retail, mobile and other platforms, and its website has over 4 million registered users. People can play free games, as well as join the social networking community and enter sweepstakes for a chance to win cash prizes by visiting http://www.slingo.com.

About RealNetworks, Inc.
RealNetworks creates innovative products and services that make it easy for people to connect with and enjoy digital media. RealNetworks invented the streaming media category and continues to connect consumers with their digital media both directly and through partners, aiming to support every network, device, media type and social network. Find RealNetworks corporate information at www.realnetworks.com  

RealNetworks and its respective logos are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of RealNetworks. Other products and company names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to plans and expectations resulting from RealNetworks' acquisition of Slingo. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements.  Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted include effectiveness of the integration of the acquired business and its products and competitive factors such as the emergence of new entrants in the market. More information about potential risk factors that could affect RealNetworks' business is included in RealNetworks' annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent year ended December 31, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in other reports and documents filed by RealNetworks from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. RealNetworks assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which are in effect as of their respective dates.

SOURCE RealNetworks, Inc.