PokerTek appoints new CEO

MATTHEWS, North Carolina -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Today PokerTek, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTEK - News) announced the appointment of Chris Halligan as the company's second CEO, succeeding Lou White, who co-founded the company and will now serve as Vice Chairman of the Board. The new positions for Mr. Halligan and Mr. White will be effective on September 24, 2007.

"As our company has grown, it has become clear that we need to add accomplished professional managers to lead our company," said Mr. White. "Chris Halligan fits that description perfectly."

Under Mr. White's tenure as CEO, PokerTek went from ground floor startup to gaming industry pioneer, growing from one employee to more than seventy, increasing the install base to over 130 casino tables, and introducing a new product into the amusements category.

"Lou has done a tremendous job in forming and launching PokerTek," said Lyle Berman, the company's Chairman. "Having Chris as PokerTek's new leader is an important step in our growth. His experience and achievements make him the right man for the next phase of our development."

"I'm honored and excited about this opportunity," said Mr. Halligan, who joined the company as Vice President of Sales and Planning in September 2006. "PokerTek has a tremendous product offering, strong strategic relationships and great people. Our products are the future of poker."

Mr. Halligan began his professional career at Dell Computer Corporation in 1989. During his approximately 11-year tenure at Dell, he held managerial positions spanning sales, marketing and business development. Highlights of his time at Dell include management and strategic direction of Dell's then $9B Relationship Online business team, direct management responsibility for a $2B annual quota and a team of 150 sales professionals for the Large Corporate Accounts Division, management of Dell's $50M annual corporate advertising programs and management of Dell's product marketing team for corporate products, including OptiPlex desktops and PowerEdge servers. Mr. Halligan was twice recognized for outstanding leadership at Dell, was Dell's Corporate Salesman of the Year in 1991 and was profiled in Fortune Magazine in 1998.

In 1999, Mr. Halligan left Dell to join webMethods, Inc. (now part of Software AG) as Vice President for North American Operations. During his time with webMethods, the company went public in one of the most successful software IPOs in NASDAQ history.

In 2001, Mr. Halligan left webMethods to pursue several outside interests, including consulting opportunities in the software and marketing industry, and later with Kieden Corporation (now part of Salesforce.com, Inc.), a San Francisco startup that went from product concept to strategic sale in approximately six months. Mr. Halligan is a significant shareholder and member of the board of directors of Mascot Books, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-area publisher of children's content

Mr. Halligan is a 1989 graduate of the University of Arizona and he and his family reside in Weddington, North Carolina.