Inland Entertainment Corporation, which broke through last April as the first Internet gaming company to market its product using a celebrity when it launched "Kenny Rogers Casino," last week renewed its contract with the legendary country music star.
"It has been just astounding to see Kenny's appeal world-wide," Inland Executive Vice President Fritz Opel said. he commented. "People unfamiliar with online gaming feel comfortable playing on his site because of his name. They know it is a secure place to come for entertainment, and feel secure even though this is a new experience for them."
"Marketing an on-line casino is not that much different from any other product--it's all about establishing brands," he added. "Through Kenny we offer a proven name and a well-known, likable celebrity. This helps us establish familiarity, not only for the Kenny Rogers Casino, but for the online gaming industry as a whole." He adds, "Plus he is just a lot of fun to work with."
To play, consumers visit www.kennyrogerscasino.com and download the software on a one-time basis. Because a "firewall" blocks minors and bets from the United States, players must establish their country of residence and age through personal address, bank address and credit card issuing bank. Practice mode is available with every game.
All transactions for Kenny Rogers Casino are handled by the Electronic Cash System (Ecash), developed by CryptoLogic. The Ecash system is protected by state-of-the-art encryption technology and can handle wagers for players as small as a single penny per transaction. Winnings are distributed to players by check, money order or Western Union Quick Pay in US dollars. Personal information on games and transaction figures are held behind firewalls in the site, and are encrypted and decrypted using a proprietary security algorithm.
Inland Entertainment Corporation, a publicly traded company in the U.S., has had a business relationship with Rogers for several years. It is also the marketing consultant for www.casinoaustralia.com and www.goodluckclub.com.