PARTNERING
On Wednesday,
PKR announced plans to pair up with
Bluefire Poker, a poker training resource, as its exclusive partner for Bluefire Poker’s European tour.
Through the partnership, Bluefire’s poker pros, which includes World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Galfond, will supply PKR’s Web site and PKR TV with strategy content, the company said.
“Our relationship with PKR is exciting in that it enables us to be involved with another company that is dedicated to their customers, and looks to exceed their expectations, which is a rare quality in our industry,” said Billy Murphy, Bluefire Poker’s founder, in a statement.
RENEWING
Net Entertainment A.B. will be sticking with BetClick for three more years.
The I-gaming developer said it renewed its licensing agreement to continue to provide BetClick, the European sports book owned by Mangas Gaming, with its online casino, CasinoModule. Mangas Gaming recently acquired Expekt and Bet-at-Home.
“The renewal of our agreement with BetClick shows the strength of the business relationship which has been established between our companies,” said Johan Öhman, chief executive of Net Entertainment, in a statement.
WPT ITALY
Venice will host Italy’s first World Poker Tour, as WPT Enterprises Inc. teams up with Bwin Interactive Entertainment A.G. to bring the tour to the region.
From May 6 to May 10, Casino di Venezia will be teeming with competitiveness as the tour crowns its first Venice champion, who will gain a WPT Venice bracelet as well as a spot in the 2010 World Poker Tour Championship. According to WPT Enterprises, all the action will be filmed and broadcasted at a later date on Bwin’s Web-TV.
“We’re thrilled to launch our first ever brick-and-mortar WPT tournament offering in Italy,” said Steve Lipscomb, WPT founder, in a company statement. “Bwin is a strong partner with the right market position in the region.”
RECESSION PROOF?
Global Betting and Gaming Consultants said that with the gross gambling yield surpassing $20 billion globally in 2008, the I-gaming industry is proving to be resilient in hard times.
“’Staying in’ has become the new ‘going out’ as consumers look to save money on their entertainment,” the United Kingdom gambling consultancy said in a prepared statement.
In GBGC’s latest “Interactive Gambling Report,” the consultancy said it believes that online gambling is well placed to take advantage of the staying-home trend. “There is certainly good reason for the sector to be optimistic about the future,” the consultancy added in regards to new legislation in France as well as possibilities for the same in the United States.