Shuffle Master, Inc. Announces Exclusive Distribution Agreement with Lightning Poker, Inc.

LAS VEGAS -- Shuffle Master, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select Market: SHFL) announced today that it has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Lightning Poker, Inc., a corporation based in Aston, Pennsylvania. Under the terms of the agreement, Shuffle Master will be responsible for promoting, marketing, distributing and servicing the Lightning Poker[TM] Gaming System worldwide. Additionally, Shuffle Master will have the option to make an equity investment in Lightning Poker, Inc. as well as to acquire an additional interest in the company if a Lightning Poker, Inc. initial public offering is conducted.

The Lightning Poker Gaming System is a fully-automated electronic poker table that enables up to 10 players to make their wagers and game decisions via individual touch screen betting stations. It can also be configured to offer a variety of poker games and formats including "sit-n-go" tournaments and will be expanded to include several of Shuffle Master's proprietary titles.

"We are pleased to offer Lightning Poker's electronic poker table as one of our multi-player electronic table game platforms," stated Paul C. Meyer, Shuffle Master President and Chief Operating Officer. "Since we exhibited the table at G2E last November, the table has been installed successfully at Turning Stone Casino in New York, and we are currently exhibiting it at the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) in London where it is generating tremendous interest. We are confident that the table will be a welcome addition to casinos worldwide and look forward to adding our proprietary content to the platform to further extend its appeal."

"Lightning Poker is thrilled with the commitment that Shuffle Master has made to our business," stated Ron Skotarczak, Lightning Poker President. "Their worldwide sales and service network is second to none, and will enable the Lightning Poker product to gain entry into casinos worldwide."

Shuffle Master, Inc. is a gaming supply company specializing in providing its casino customers Utility Products, including automatic card shufflers, roulette chip sorters and intelligent table system modules, to improve their profitability, productivity and security, and Entertainment Products, including live proprietary table games, electronic multi-player table game platforms, traditional video slot machines for select markets, live table game tournaments and wireless gaming solutions to expand their gaming entertainment content. The Company is included in the S&P Smallcap 600 Index. Information about the Company and its products can be found on the Internet at www.shufflemaster.com.

This release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management's current beliefs and expectations about future events, as well as on assumptions made by and information available to management. The Company considers such statements to be made under the safe harbor created by the federal securities laws to which it is subject, and assumes no obligation to update or supplement such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, the following: changes in the level of consumer or commercial acceptance of the Company's existing products and new products as introduced; increased competition from existing and new products for floor space in casinos; acceleration and/or deceleration of various product development, promotion and distribution schedules; product performance issues; higher than expected manufacturing, service, selling, legal, administrative, product development, promotion and/or distribution costs; changes in the Company's business systems or in technologies affecting the Company's products or operations; reliance on strategic relationships with distributors and technology and manufacturing vendors; current and/or future litigation, claims and costs or an adverse judicial finding; tax matters including changes in tax legislation or assessments by taxing authorities; acquisitions or divestitures by the Company or its competitors of various product lines or businesses and, in particular, integration of businesses that the Company may acquire; changes to the Company's intellectual property portfolio, such as the issuance of new patents, new intellectual property licenses, loss of licenses, claims of infringement or invalidity of patents; regulatory and jurisdictional issues (e.g., technical requirements and changes, delays in obtaining necessary approvals, or changes in a jurisdiction's regulatory scheme or approach, etc.) involving the Company and its products specifically or the gaming industry in general; general and casino industry economic conditions; the financial health of the Company's casino and distributor customers, suppliers and distributors, both nationally and internationally; the Company's ability to meet its debt service obligations, including the Company's senior convertible notes and its senior secured revolving credit facility, which will depend on its future performance and other conditions or events and will be subject to many factors that are beyond the Company's control; various risks related to the Company's customers' operations in countries outside the United States, including currency fluctuation risks, which could increase the volatility of the Company's results from such operations; and the Company's ability to successfully and economically integrate the operations of any acquired companies, such as Stargames. Additional information on these and other risk factors that could potentially affect the Company's financial results may be found in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K.