Invited to Rejoin Party -- Online gaming giant PartyGaming last week officially integrated Empire Poker into its platform. Empire Online, which formerly owned Empire Poker, and Party Gaming battled for months last year over Party's sudden decision in October 2005 to end all skin agreements, of which Empire Poker was one. The matter was settled in February when PartyGaming bought Empire Poker for a reported $250 million.
The Phases of Poker -- An article in Sunday's New York Times examines whether the popularity of poker is waxing or waning. According to the article, the annual revenue growth of 158 percent is projected to fall to 18 percent in the next five years, and Travel Channel said ratings for its "World Poker Tour" program have fallen 36 percent in the last two years. Nonetheless, broadcasting companies like Fox and other networks that produce and broadcast poker dismiss nay saying and continue heavily promote their poker shows. Next month Fox plans to premiere "Poker Dome Challenge," a live TV show that will be broadcast from inside the Neonopolis, a shopping mall in Mississippi.
IOM on its Own -- The International Standards Organization (ISO) in Geneva has agreed to include the Isle of Man in its main database of distinct geopolitical entities, the ISO 3166-1 country list. This means IOM residents and companies selling on the Internet (such as gaming companies) will now be able to name "Isle of Man" as their country of residence instead of the "United Kingdom." "I am delighted that the Island's case has been recognized by ISO and that we will now be on a level playing field with other countries on the Internet and elsewhere," Treasury Minister Allan Bell said.
Pilot Program -- Interactive gaming software developer EssNet Interactive AB and Aland Islands-based gambling operator Ålands Penningautomatförening (PAF) on Wednesday signed a new pilot agreement that will cover a client server-based system using EssNet's online Interactive Video Lottery Terminals (IVT). The pilot will be trialed for use aboard cruise ships for up to six months beginning in the fall of 2006. PAF signed the first pilot agreement in December 2005 to test the IVT system at its Casino PAF property in Mariehamn.