On Wednesday, Gaming Media Group, which owns The Poker Channel, PokerHeaven.com, CasinoJoy.com, BingoJoy.com and BlackjackHeaven.com, reported a 57 percent growth in overall revenues for 2008.
The privately held company also noted that its poker earnings alone grew 47 percent, and its before-tax profit grew four times to £1 million.
The group’s TV business, The Poker Channel, will premier a European cash game this month and expects to add Poland and Portugal to its distribution network in the first quarter of 2009. The Poker Channel will also start broadcasting French, German and Dutch language versions of its shows in early 2009, the company said.
The group said it also plans to launch CasinoJoy in mid-January, a site that will boast more than 200 games from CryptoLogic Ltd.
“Our pan-European and localized approach, together with significant advances in our (customer relationship management) infrastructure, has been key to the extensive growth in 2008,” said Crispin Nieboer, Gaming Media Group’s chief executive, in a prepared statement. “We forecast strong organic growth in 2009, not just from poker, but from our new casino and bingo products as well.”
Mr. Neiboer added that the group is investigating more acquisition and joint-venture opportunities.