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Arriva Card offers instant underwriting19 March 2007LAS VEGAS, Nevada -– (PRESS RELEASE) -- Arriva Card the first credit card designed specifically for use in casinos, now offers Instant Underwriting of Credit at 75 casino properties across the U.S. Those casinos' credit desks, cages, hosts and other personnel can arrange for Arriva cards to be issued instantly to customers seeking credit to play. The program makes it simple for casinos to extend immediate credit to responsible gaming patrons. Casinos simply input an instant credit application for the customer through Arriva's online proprietary scoring engine and, within minutes, an approved customer gets an Arriva Card with up to $10,000 of credit-with no risk to the casino. The customer has immediate access to their credit line. The Borgata, Trump and Hard Rock Las Vegas are among the 75 casinos currently taking advantage of the Arriva Instant Credit program. Consumers can also apply for Arriva cards at Arrivacard.com. Since it was first introduced in July 2006, Arriva has extended more than $40 million of credit to responsible gaming patrons. Said Todd Smith, senior vice president of marketing at Global Cash Access, Inc., parent of Arriva Card, Inc., "With our Instant Credit capability, we're able to provide a great alternative for casino guests and, importantly, help casinos reduce management overhead and risk when it comes to house credit. Arriva Instant Credit customers can use their new accounts right away, whereas it often takes hours, and added risk, for casinos to extend their own credit. In effect, Arriva helps deliver money to the customer - and casino floor - faster and more efficiently." To date, the average in-casino Arriva Card cash advance is significantly larger than those completed with any other credit card. Specifically, Arriva Card cash advance transactions at casino ATM machines are 115% larger, and "signature-based" cash advance transactions are 72% larger, than similar transactions with other cards. Further, even though the Arriva Card is still in the early stages of marketing, casinos have seen significant percentages -- in some cases more than 16% -- of cash advance volume coming from Arriva Cards. The larger volume of Arriva Card cash advance transactions is a result of Arriva's great terms, generous rewards program, and ability to provide immediate access to credit, according to Mr. Smith. Arriva: First Credit Card to Treat Casino Cash Advances as Entertainment Purchases and Not as Costly Personal Loans Arriva Card gives casino patrons with strong credit profiles and in-casino cash advance histories more access to cash -- and at better terms -- than they'd typically have with traditional credit cards. "Traditional credit cards offer less favorable terms for cash advances than they offer for purchases -- even if those cash advances occur within a casino. We know that in-casino cash advances are entertainment purchases, like that of a theater ticket, dining experience or hotel room, and not sheer loans, like other cash advances often are. Accordingly, we reward customers for using Arriva; we don't penalize them," said Mr. Smith. Most credit cards charge higher rates for cash advances than they charge for retail purchases; begin charging interest immediately after the transaction (as opposed to giving a grace period like with retail purchases); don't give reward points for cash advances; restrict cash advances to only a portion of the credit line; and generally don't apply monthly payments against cash advance transactions until the retail purchase balance is paid off. Arriva takes a different approach. Arriva Card: * Offers a true grace period on cash advances. * Gives reward points for cash advances -- unlike typical credit cards. * Allows cash advances of the entire Arriva Card credit line. * Charges lower fees and interest rates on cash advances than many credit cards. Arriva Card is a product of Arriva Card, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Cash Access Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GCA). CIT Bank is the issuer of the card, and Arriva Card, Inc. is the administrator and servicer of Arriva Card accounts. The Arriva Card can be used in the 800-plus casino locations in the U.S. and Caribbean that are GCA customers. |