Hoping to set itself apart from other online casino operators, the Gala Group is going down an aggressive path that could shape the way gambling is conducted on the Internet.
Person-to-person (P2P) betting has revolutionized online sports betting. Now, instead of punters being forced to pay the going price for a bet with a traditional bookmaker, they can choose from a bevy of odds and money lines offered by other independent punters.
P2P betting led to the meteoric rise of Betfair.com, and now Gala Group is hoping to cash in on the P2P frenzy.
Gala and its creative technology partner, NT Media, have co-developed Winning Circles, the world's first "territorial betting" game in which players go head-to-head instead of against the house, for its online casino. It's the first P2P game to be featured at galacasino.co.uk.
The site, developed by Virtue Fusion, Gala Interactive's software development partner, was launched in December 2002 and also offers traditional casino games.
Nigel Willis, Gala's director of interactive gaming, said Winning Circles is the first of several P2P games to be offered at the site.
"We have a raft of new games in development," Willis said. "It's not hard to attract an audience with a good quality casino on the Web. But now we're developing new content to differentiate us."
Gala has earmarked roughly £150,000 a month for the remainder of the year for an aggressive marketing campaign for the casino site. The campaign will emphasize the new P2P games. The marketing blitz is part of a commitment by Gala's new owners, Gandover and Cinven, to become a leader in P2P casino games.
Willis said the new ads will be placed on gaming and lifestyle sites. A previous campaign earlier this year targeted finance sites and other sites with male-dominated audiences.
Winning Circles was developed in association between Gala and NT Media, which also helped develop Ladbrokes' popular "Balls" game.
"Winning Circles will be a true revolution in the way customers can interact with one another in a Casino environment, some customers will feel more at ease playing against each other than directly against the house." said Nik Robinson Managing Director of NT Media.
The game is due to be launched from galacasino.co.uk in mid April.