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Press Release Report on the first quarter of 2012

- EBIT up 3.5 percent in first quarter to EUR 12.0 million

- Resumption of business on German market

- Plans to spin off German business as Lotto24 AG

(Hamburg, 7 May 2012) Tipp24 got off to a successful start in its fiscal year 2012. The company enjoyed further growth with an increase in consolidated revenue of 5.7 percentin the first quarter to EUR 35.4 (prior year: 33.5) million. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) improved by 3.5 percent to EUR 12.0 (11.6) million. Consolidated net profit rose by 15.5 percentto EUR 8.7 (7.6) million. The EBIT margin reached 34.0 percent, compared to 34.7 percent in the same period last year. In the period under review, Tipp24 raised earnings per share from continued operations from EUR 0.99 to EUR 1.08.

The Abroad segment once again made the strongest contribution to business with revenue of EUR 35.9 (34.1) million in the first quarter. Segment EBIT grew strongly to EUR 15.3 (13.6) million.

Revenue in the German segment totalled EUR 0.1 (0.2) million in the first three months. The EBIT result of the German segment amounting to EUR -3.1 (-1.6) million was dominated by expenditure in connection with the planned spin-off of the companys operations in Germany. In late February 2012, Tipp24 Deutschland GmbH (a subsidiary of Tipp24 SE) resumed online lottery brokerage in Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt. Due to the prevailing regulatory situation, however, business on the German market is still highly restricted.

Relaunch on the German market despite ongoing legal uncertainties

After the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein reopened the market for online lottery brokerage in early 2012 with its new gaming legislation, Tipp24 decided to re-enter the German market via its subsidiary Tipp24 Deutschland GmbH (in future Lotto24 AG). The service launched in February via the website http://www.lotto24.de currently targets only those customers who are residents of Schleswig-Holstein or Saxony-Anhalt. In Schleswig-Holstein, there is a legislative basis for business, while in Saxony-Anhalt Tipp24 SE successfully fought in court to gain unrestricted permission for its online lottery brokerage.

However, there are still considerable regulatory uncertainties for the German market. In its statement on 20 March 2012, the European Commission criticized - among other things - the large number of permits for online lottery brokerage required by the planned Revised State Treaty on Games of Chance of the other 15 federal states. Nevertheless, the Minister Presidents of the 15 states adopted the disputed State Treaty in late March and will put the legislation to a vote in their respective state parliaments with the aim of enforcing it as of 1 July 2012.

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DGAP-News: Tipp24 SE: Successful start to the new fiscal year

Updated: May 6, 2012, 7:23 PM ET

On Sunday afternoon, May 6, less than 24 hours after the Monster Energy AMA Supercross finale in Las Vegas, Joe Gibbs Racing Motocross have "mutually agreed to release [James] Stewart from his contract for all racing and media relations responsibilities that were assumed by him at the beginning of the 2012 racing season," according to a brief 58-word press release issued by JGRMX.

Stewart, whose only public comments over the past six weeks have been made via Twitter, said on May 6, "Now that the SX series is done, I will have a busy next few days coming up. Can't wait! Talk to you guys soon! Change means that what was before wasn't perfect. People want things to be better."

The relationship, which was officially announced on October 25, 2011 yielded two Monster Energy Supercross victories and seventh overall in the 2012 championship.

Rumors of the split began to surface in mid-April. Stewart missed five of the last six supercross races due to a concussion and broken hand suffered in Indianapolis (March 17). The static between Stewart and JGRMX went public on April 21 when JGRMX Team Manager, Jeremy Albrecht interviewed with Cycle News, and told veteran journalist Kit Palmer in response to 'why isn't James Stewart happy', "I think it's confidence, he's thinking it's something with set-up or whatever. But we go testing, and he picks the set ups that we race with, it's not like we build it and say ride it. When all these rumors started, nothing seemed that bad."

Albrecht also said that Stewart had not told the team whether or not he wanted to compete in the 2012 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. On April 27, Stewart released the following message via Twitter: "I look forward to seeing my fans at Hangtown behind the starting gate. More news to come soon."

On April 30, JGRMX team owner, Coy Gibbs released the following message to the media in response to Albrecht's Cycle News interview: "The opinions expressed regarding James Stewart during the Cycle News interview with Jeremy Albrecht on the 21st of April and subsequent article by Kit Palmer do not reflect my or Joe Gibbs Racing's thoughts with respect to James."

News from Stewart is expected soon. The 2012 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship begins May 19 in Sacramento, Calif.

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James Stewart released from contract with JGR

EDITORIAL

The constitution supposedly guarantees that every Thai "shall enjoy the liberty to express his or her opinion, make speeches, write, print, publicise and make expression by other means". It also says that writers and broadcasters employed by the mass media "shall enjoy their liberties to present news and express their opinions".

Unfortunately, neither of these articles of the supreme law is actually true. Thailand is still a country where even professional journalists are killed for trying to present news and opinions. And the rest of the world has very little respect for the country when it comes to press freedom.

Last Thursday was World Press Freedom Day. There was no acknowledgement of this by agencies and ministries charged with defending constitutional rights. The media itself saw no reason to celebrate. But the head of the United Nations and journalism groups in other countries did take note of the day. And most reports on World Press Freedom Day noted the low international regard for Thailand on the issue.

Reporters are increasingly at risk, for a number of reasons. Thailand is one of the few countries with the ignominious reputation of witnessing journalists being killed regularly without any ongoing war or violent conflict. There are only five such countries around the world _ the others being Brazil, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

On Jan 12, a gunman in Phuket shot and killed the freelance reporter Wisut Tangwittayaporn, a familiar figure known as "Ae Inside" because he was a tenacious newsman. To their credit, Phuket police not only pursued the case, but actually indicted three suspects including the alleged killer and his motorcycle driver, both of whom are still at large.

The third suspect has been charged as the mastermind. He is Assadakorn "Pod" Seedokbuab, 48, who is not simply another influential Phuket figure, but one of the most influential. Mr Assadakorn, who is on bail for 3.4 million baht despite the serious charges, is vice-president of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce. He is the owner of a Phuket TV station, KPP Cable.

Police have not said why they think Mr Assadakorn arranged to kill Wisut. It is no secret in Phuket, however, that Wisut was about to release more stories about the very troubled housing market in Phuket. The real estate industry in the province has seen violence before, including other murders. We may never know exactly what Wisut was onto, but no one doubts it was his reporting that caused his violent death.

Two entirely separate surveys this year have rated Thailand's press freedom. Reporters Without Borders says the country ranks 137th in the world, with 61.5 out of a possible 100 freedom points. The US-based Freedom House gives Thailand 62 out of 100, good enough to tie the country with Libya, Liberia and Zambia in 132nd place in the world. Both drolly comment that Thailand's press freedom actually improved because of the end of the 2010 emergency decree invoked during the Bangkok violence.

This is a terrible performance by a country striving for real democracy. Successive governments have not only failed to protect press freedom, but have actually encouraged censorship with actions such as appointing the ICT ministry as official internet censor. A democratic government does not make such choices. Our authorities must support the constitution on freedom of information, or be branded as opponents of a free press.

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Freedom's just another word

Bundesliga minnows Augsburg have improbably secured their top flight survival, with a game to spare. Yet Dutch coach Jos Luhukay looks set to depart a year ahead of schedule - the club has promised news by Sunday.

Several German media outlets, perhaps most notably mass-circulation tabloid Bild, reported Friday not just that Augsburg coach Jos Luhukay was set to leave his post with a year remaining on his contract, but also that his replacement had already been lined up.

Current coach of third division side Jahn Regensburg, Markus Weinzierl, is reportedly poised to take over a post that has not yet officially been vacated.

Augsburg's management did not comment directly on the rumors at a Friday press conference ahead of their last Bundesliga game of the season, at home against Hamburg, on Saturday - but they also did little to dispel the talk.

"We won't send the players off on their holidays on Sunday with any uncertainties concerning their coach," club manager Andreas Rettig said.

Luhukay, who has improbably steered the Bundesliga's poorest club to safety in a season buoyed by solid home form, is reported to have an excellent working relationship with Rettig. He has apparently found it increasingly difficult to work with club chairman Walther Seinsch, however, who had pledged earlier in the season to stick with his current coach even if Augsburg faced relegation into the second division.

Luhukay, left, and Rettig were always said to get on very well

"We are still in negotiations. I hope that a decision will be reached in the very near future," Luhukay told reporters in Augsburg Friday. "I have had no contact at all with other clubs."

Stellar season, all things considered

Luhukay took the reins at Augsburg in April 2009, guiding the club into the top flight of German league football for the first time in its history and since securing that position for at least another 12 months.

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Augsburg pledge word on coach Luhukay's fate at weekend

The winning coach was so angry that he let slip the 'f word' in the post-match press conference while the losing coach was happy despite his team continuing its worst start to a season in almost two decades.

In what was a fittingly strange end to a perplexing Sunday afternoon at Parramatta Stadium, rival team bosses Tim Sheens and Stephen Kearney looked at Wests Tigers' 31-30 win over the Parramatta Eels in vastly different light.

Sheens was fuming that his side let slip a 31-0 lead, conceding 30 points in the last 13 minutes to momentarily contemplate the unthinkable.

After inadvertently swearing at the start of his press conference in trying to sum up his frustration and anger, Sheens blasted his side's finish as 'rubbish'.

He said: 'We were very disappointed. 31-0 with 14 minutes to go and you let them score and get within a point. It's just rubbish.

'The only positive is the win.

'We look at the first 60-odd minutes and know we did something good and played well and looked like some sort of a premiership side.

'The last part of it we looked like an A-Grade side.

'The boys understand it. They talked about it on the field.

'It was attitude for sure. We just clocked off, there's no doubt.'

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Coaches undergo bizarre role reversal