WORLD POKER TOUR(R) on the Big Screen: WPT and Hosts to Be Featured in 'Deal' - Starring Burt Reynolds and Bret Harrison

WORLD POKER TOUR(R) on the Big Screen: WPT and Hosts to Be Featured in 'Deal' - Starring Burt Reynolds and Bret Harrison

Film Begins Shooting in New Orleans This Month

LOS ANGELES, April 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The WORLD POKER TOUR(R) will get its first Hollywood close-up with a starring role in the upcoming "Deal," filming this month in New Orleans. WPT fans will ultimately get to see hosts Mike Sexton, Vince Van Patten and Courtney Friel playing themselves, alongside the film's stars Burt Reynolds and Bret Harrison.

Produced by Michael Arata and Louisiana-based Crescent City Pictures, "Deal," directed by Gil Cates Jr., can be characterized as "The Color of Money" meets the poker world. It tells the story of an ex-gambler played by Reynolds, who teaches a hot-shot college student how to "play the player," instead of just the cards. Bret Harrison, who stars as the college student/online wiz, is the star of Fox Network's comedy "The Loop." The film concludes at the WPT World Championship(TM).

Veteran actor Charles Durning is part of the cast, along with poker aficionado Shannon Elizabeth and WPT stars Phil "The Unabomber" Laak and Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari.

"Deal" will film its WPT scenes immediately after the April 18-24, 2006 WPT World Championship(TM), the $12-$15 million finale to the 17-event WORLD POKER TOUR Season IV. At the close of the tournament, after the new WPT World Champion is crowned at Bellagio in Las Vegas, and awarded his $3+ million first prize, the set will be loaded up for transport on the WPT 18-wheeler and trucked down to New Orleans.

"We are very excited about the WORLD POKER TOUR leaping from the small screen to the big screen," says Steve Lipscomb, founder and CEO of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WPTE). "'Deal' will bring our enormously popular show on the Travel Channel to an even greater audience and we hope that it continues to fuel the explosion of poker worldwide."

The WORLD POKER TOUR is the global leader in poker. The WPT introduced poker to a worldwide audience through its innovative and riveting brand of televised poker, now seen in more than 147 countries and territories. Capturing all the excitement and sizzling action at its 17 Tour stops around the globe, the shows sets the gold standard in poker programming. The WPT inspired a global poker phenomenon that has attracted millions of men and women to the game and legions of devoted followers to the poker lifestyle. It has transformed poker into the sport of choice for vast numbers of viewers and players, and the hundreds of millions of dollars of prize money on the WPT has rekindled the promise of "The New American Dream." The WORLD POKER TOUR airs on the Travel Channel, every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET/PT in the U.S. and on ITV4 in the U.K. For more information, go to www.worldpokertour.com.

About WPTE

WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WPTE) is a company engaged in the creation of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by the development, production, and marketing of televised programming based on gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour(R), a television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that airs on the Travel Channel in the United States and more than 147 markets globally. WPT Enterprises currently licenses its brand to companies in the business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing, electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino games, and giftware. For show information, tools for improving poker play, and other WPT news, fans may log on to www.worldpokertour.com. The company is also engaged in the sale of corporate sponsorships. WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:LACO). Photos and media information can be found online at: www.worldpokertour.com/media.

WPTEG

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by WPT Enterprises, Inc.) contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the expansion of WPTE's brand licensing, the development of new television and film projects, the development of WPTE corporate sponsors and other business development activities, as well as statements regarding other capital spending, financing sources and the effects of competition. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of WPTE. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, WPTE's significant dependence on the Travel Channel as a source of revenue; the potential that our television programming will fail to maintain a sufficient audience; the risk that competitors with greater financial resources or marketplace presence might develop television programming that would directly compete with WPTE's television programming; the risk that WPT may not be able to protect its entertainment concepts, current and future brands and other intellectual property rights; risks associated with future expansion into new or complementary businesses; the termination or impairment of WPTE's relationships with key licensing and strategic partners; and WPTE's dependence on its senior management team. For more information, review WPTE's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:
Erik Stein/WPT: (323) 330-9854
estein@worldpokertour.com

Aimee Lirette/ WPT: (323) 330-9872
alirette@worldpokertour.com

Jackie Lapin/WPT (818) 707-1473
jlapin@worldpokertour.com

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050809/LATU100LOGO)

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050809/LATU100LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: WPT Enterprises, Inc.

CONTACT: Erik Stein, +1-323-330-9854, estein@worldpokertour.com, or
Aimee Lirette, +1-323-330-9872, alirette@worldpokertour.com, or Jackie Lapin,
+1-818-707-1473, jlapin@worldpokertour.com, all of WPT Enterprises, Inc.

Web site: http://www.worldpokertour.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: 300 dpi downloadable images available at www.media.worldpokertour.com

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