Metropolitan Poker will be the first customer to implement FreeStar Technology's innovative Internet Payment Gateway (IPG). FreeStar's subsidiary Rahaxi Processing, based in Helsinki, clinched the landmark contract to provide the online casino with a state of the art payment management application to control all aspects of the payment and virtual bank system.

Rahaxi Processing currently processes in excess of one million card payments every month for such companies as Finnair, Ikea and Stockman.

FreeStar Technology CEO Paul Egan explained the step demonstrates the company's end-to-end solution capability because it encompasses software development, payment authorization and use of the Internet Payment Gateway, enabling customers anywhere in the world to access the system and pay for their transactions.

Egan said: 'In the year ahead we expect to add more online merchants who wish to avail themselves of our state of the art, reliable Internet Payment Gateway and its excellent reporting capabilities that enables merchants to keep up-to-the minute information on all payment transactions.'

Metropolitan Poker, Inc., was founded by a group of dedicated poker playing investors and elite software developers. Michael Rosenberg, CEO of Metropolitan Poker, said: 'We have made great efforts in developing 'a state of the art' poker software and after careful consideration and research we have found Rahaxi to be the most suitable choice of partner to fulfill our high demands for reliability and security.'