Since the online gambling ban was announced few weeks ago in USA, eGaming companies are exploring merger possibilities and the actual US legal situation may have accelerated strategies in the industry. PartyGaming’s shares have fallen by over 75% in four weeks, and 888 Holdings’ shares fell by 25%.
The Telegraph reported on Sunday that these two online gaming operators, Party Gaming and 888 Holdings, have started preliminary talks about a possible merger to create a new online giant. Party Gaming is the world’s biggest online poker group, while 888 Holding is the owner of one of the most famous and reputable online casinos, 888.com.
Mitch Garber, the chief executive of Party Gaming, is on holiday in Israel, and announced further talks within the next week.
Industry experts report that online gaming companies are now looking to acquire rivals that have a strong European or Asian presence. Party Gaming has also started a deal to buy Gamesys, a well-known and estabilished European operator, and Victor Chandler, an online bookmaker with a big player base in Asia and Europe as well.
Poker Room says in a statement that in the light of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act (UIGEA) signed on last october 13, it has decided to stop accepting new US players from October 25, and starting from November 6, it will no longer accept US real-money players.
“We regret that the U.S. has taken this step to make it virtually impossible to offer real money entertainment to U.S. customers, and we believe that a properly monitored regulation would be much more effective than this general ban”, said a spokesperson from PokerRoom.com.
PokerRoom.com website is closing their games to American players starting from November 6. This announcement was highly expected as Ongame was acquired this year by austrian company Bwin, which has already closed their bets to the US market. (more…)
The online gambling software developer Cryptologic has reached an agreement for the next three years with the top Scandinavian online poker room Betsafe. Cryptologic’s subsidiary Wagerlogic will provide an online poker package to Betsafe players within the end of this year.
Cryptologic has a solid reputation on the european market, and Lewis Rose, company’s President and CEO, said: “Thanks to a five-year focus on international markets, CryptoLogic’s software now powers the world’s largest shared poker network that doesn’t need US players”.
Andre Lavold, Betsafe’s CEO said that “We wanted a trusted software provider with a reputation for liquidity, stability, quality and integrity. CryptoLogic offered all this - and more”.
Betsafe will join the poker network that includes William Hill Poker, Interpoker, Littlewoods Poker, Sun Poker, Pokerplex, UKbetting Poker, Classic Poker, and soon, the new Playboy poker room.
The most famous scottish football team, Celtic FC have announced a partnership with FCPokerRoom and they will become the latest football club to open their own online poker room, Actually there are no details about the software that they’ll use.
The new poker room will offer exciting promotions and tournaments, where players will be able to form poker teams and play against each other as well as Celtic football heroes. High part of the income will help to finance a new training facility and the club’s youth development.
“Players will soon be able to play against teams from other Scottish Premier League football clubs in a new online poker tournament which could culminate in a Scotland poker team playing against an England poker team”, said FCPokerRoom’s director Andy MacDonald.
Hibernian and Kilmarnock are the other Scottish clubs affiliated to poker sites, but Celtic are the first to have their own site.
Online gambling is about to enter a brand new standard of interactive poker, poker via webcam. Going along with latest technology Online Casino offers players around the world playing interactive poker without leaving home. Playing via webcam gives a feeling of interactive play with other poker enthusiasts. online poker players may now feel like beeing in a live casino. Thanks to the latest tehcnology not only static images are now available, but live motion. One of the advantages of online casinos is anonymity. While some of the players prefer to stay anonymous the rest likes the idea of feeling like beeing in a real casino without leaving home. Webcam service will be available in a new dynamic poker casino, Pharaos Poker Palace. Webcam will be optional and what is more important it will be free. Some of the poker tables will be designated for webcam players only. Webcam will be necessary to play by those tables. Part of the tables will be non webcam for those people who like to stay anonymous.
The first day of the World Series of Poker has gone, and over 8,500 players have already registered at this great event, and some say the number can reach 10,000 at the end of today. And Everest Poker is right in the thick of the action, with 6 players represented.
Inaki is one of them and he had a great first day. He collected 40,000 chips at the end of the day, well above average. After some sleep, he’s looking forward to today’s tournament. Good luck! Play at Everest Poker or visit the italian guide of online poker.
