T-Mobile UK has announced the launch of a free ad-funded mobile game service - the T-Mobile Game Club.

It's launching this week, and will be hosted and managed by UK firm Digistores.

The first title to be made available is Player One's Pokermillion Texas Hold'em The Masters, with AMA IQ Booster, Pro Bowling, Pool Star and Einstein's Brain Game due to go live in the next few weeks. Games will go live at the rate of one a week.

Paramount Pictures has signed up in the first batch of advertisers, promoting its Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa movie.

The service works by offering two full-screen adverts before the game starts, and two after it finishes. They'll either be clickable to visit a mobile site, or will allow players to call or text the advertiser.

Players won't be charged for the data costs of downloading the game or viewing the adverts

"Our experience in the mobile gaming and advertising market and T-Mobile's web'n'walk service are the perfect match and we look forward to attracting new customers to mobile games," says Digistores MD Steve Gordon.

"Our technology allows advertising to targeted to specific segments which makes it a successful proposition for advertisers and content partners alike."

T-Mobile is one of the first operators to throw its weight behind ad-funded mobile gaming in this way, although it'll be interesting to see how heavily it promotes the new Games Club - not to mention how the advertising revenues are shared out.