Today we officially announced Pikum!s beta launch.  The press release has just hit the wires.  Later this week, we have an event planned to introduce the media and our friends more fully to Pikum! 

Here's the full release:

Friends Win Big With New Online Social Betting Game, Pikum!

6 May 2008 – Friends now have an exciting new way to compete against each other thanks to the beta launch today of Pikum! (www.pikum.com), a new kind of betting game. Similar to an office sweepstake or pool, Pikum! pits friends against one another online to see who’s the best at predicting outcomes of major sports, such as the Barclay’s Premiership, and other topical events. Anyone can create a Pikum and players can stake cash or play for fun using Pikum’s own bragging currency, Pikles.

Johannes Larcher, CEO, Pikum!, says: “Pikum! is all about having fun and pitting your wits and knowledge against your friends, with the person who makes the most accurate predictions taking the prize pool. We’re starting with football and rugby, and will be introducing more categories on which players can create and play Pikums in the near future.”

Players of Pikum can invite their friends to join in their game - the more people playing the game, the larger the prize pool. With Pikum!, every game has at least one winner. If no-one in the Pikum gets all the answers completely right, the closest one wins. This means that players are playing each other, rather than the ‘house’.

Some of the very first players getting in on the game include Virgin Group president and founder Sir Richard Branson, and sports presenter Helen Chamberlain.

“Pikum! is a completely new way to make bets,” says Sir Richard Branson. “It’s web-based and innovative; you can have fun making bets against your social network, not just the house. So the more friends you have, the bigger the pool! Check out my own Pikums at www.pikum.com/richard.” You can also find Helen Chamberlain’s Pikums at www.pikum.com/helen. Pikum! received financial backing from Virgin USA.

Pikum! launches in the UK on 6 May and will be open to a select number of individuals who have been invited to participate. If you’re interested in playing Pikum, visit www.pikum.com and request an invitation. You can then invite your friends to play Pikum and they will be able to get in right away.

Notes to editors:

Need more information?

If you are a journalist and want more information on Pikum!, or would like to speak to Johannes Larcher, CEO, or Sean Glass, founder and UK managing director, please contact Kate Hartley on 020 7386 4862 or email her at kate.hartley (at) Carrotcomms.co.uk .
About Pikum!

Pikum! is a new kind of betting game created and played by users online at Pikum.com. The games can be played for fun or money (money betting services are offered through Pikum! Worldwide Limited, which holds a full eGambling license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission).

The company has attracted top quality financial support and is backed by Virgin USA and First Round Capital. The company’s founders, Sean Glass, Logan Lindsell, and Johannes Larcher are serial entrepreneurs and have assembled an experienced international management team with experience from companies such as Yahoo!, Overture and Higher One.