888 Have Suitors For A Merge

The merger between BWIN and PartyGaming which has resulted in the world’s largest online gambling firm has caused a ripple across the rest of the gambling industry. Online gambling firm 888 has now acknowledged it has been contacted by competitors looking to put together a similar plan.

Chief Executive Gigi Levy told Reuters that,

“This puts us in a position in which we are one of the best assets in the field — we got a few phone calls immediately from various people. Everybody in the industry is looking and saying ‘who is the best one to merge with if we need to? Party and bwin took almost a year to close the deal so we don’t see anything happening imminently but there’s definitely expressions of interest.”

Everyone is trying to get themselves in a position to take full advantage of the European markets currently opening up as new laws are passed to regulate online gambling. All eyes are on the U.S. of course as at least a step has been taken when the new Barney Frank bill passed the mark up vote last week.

Just like PartyGaming and BWIN, 888 has said it is the poker that is continuing to be hit the hardest as sites that still accept US players are taking more of the market share in this area. Some analysis feel that the merging of overseas companies will be the only way that they will be able to compete again in a regulated U.S. online gambling market.

Author: GamesAndCasino