LONDON, October 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- GBP1,000,000 JACKPOT and FREE 1st Entry Into Weekly Mega Football 
Prediction Game

- With Photo

A new weekly football prediction game backed by Virgin International
launches today, in a direct challenge to the Football Pools. The Football
Mega Pikum (http://www.Pikum.com) describes itself as 'the next generation of
football pools', a hard-hitting and entertaining game where players predict
the outcome of football games with large weekly payouts and a massive
GBP1,000,000 top prize. Better yet, given the current economic climate, the
company is giving football fans their first entry free.

In true Branson fashion, the team at Pikum isn't shying away from taking
on the new betting monopoly that is the football pools. It is little known
that since Sportech purchased Vernons, Littlewoods, and Zetters there is only
one player in the UK pool betting market. This has led to little improvement
in an offering that is increasingly looked upon as not fitting with this
generation of football fan.

In addition to a huge cash prediction game, players of Mega Football
Pikum get a complete football entertainment experience, - with a weekly web
video show hosted by Setanta presenter Charlotte Jackson, discussing and
giving tips on the week's games; an integrated banter board where fans with
an entry can discuss the upcoming and past football action; coming soon
players will have the ability to invite friends to compete with them via
private 'league' tables. In addition, players will be able to enter the
private leagues of the ever lovely Team Pikum Girls.

Unlike the pools, The Mega Football Pikum won't just have players predict
wins, losses and draws, but also asks questions related to each week's big
headlines, such as whether a game will be hot headed producing a lot of
fouls, or high scoring; will a manager lose his job this week, or even
whether a particular player will score. Football has changed, and the game
focuses on the questions that are most interesting to today's fans.

At least GBP1000 must be won each week, with a massive GBP1,000,000
jackpot to play for. The guaranteed prize pool increases as more players
enter. Each week the 40 most accurate entries split the pool. Each week's
entry stake is GBP5, however fans who login soon will get their first shot at
the money free.

Sean Glass, Pikum's UK MD says, "The pools have gotten boring, and since
Sportech took them over and created a monopoly, there's been no competition
and thus no reason for them to improve. In great Virgin tradition, we've
focused on creating something fun, customer friendly, and entertaining. Mega
Football Pikum provides a better game and experience for today's fan. Try it
out - your first entry is on us."

For more information or to play Football Mega Pikum, see
http://www.pikum.com

Note to Editors:

Team Pikum Girls Image (high resolution available upon request)

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA
Photowire. It can be downloaded from http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or
viewed at http://www.mediapoint.press.net or http://www.prnewswire.co.uk.