On the Rise -- After press speculation had that PartyGaming was on the decline, as narrowly evidenced by Pokersitescout.com's online poker rankings, the group's PartyPoker business rebounded last week with a seven-day average of 5,800. Two weeks ago, PartyPoker drifted out of second place for the first time ever and was replaced by Full Tilt (second place) and iPokerNetwork (third). Currently, PartyPoker sits in third place, besting iPokerNetwork, which now holds fourth place with a seven-day average of 5,200. Full Tilt retained its second-place ranking with a seven-day average of 6,800, while PokerStars remained atop the field with a seven-day average of 14,400.
For Sale -- In financial news, Rank is reportedly discussing the sale of its £700 million pension fund to Goldman Sachs. The Telegraph reported last week that according to anonymous sources with knowledge of the deal, the two companies are in final discussions and the deal is close to being announced.
Half-Yearly Loss -- Online casino group Lasseters has reported an unaudited half-yearly loss of $A1.9 million on complications resulting from its U.S. withdrawal and subsequent increased marketing and operational costs for its online sportsbook.
Stock Watch -- On the LSE today, 888 was down 3.75p to 124.00, Playtech was down 3.25p to 321.75 and Ladbrokes was up 1p to 280.00.