PartyGaming to enter French market with B2B deal

PartyGaming will be launching online poker in France next year when the market regulates through a business-to-business partnership to achieve scale as quickly as possible.

Speaking during the analyst presentation following the company’s half year results, chief executive Jim Ryan said Party would offer online poker in soon-to-be regulated French market to complement its recent entry into the Italian market. “We have launched our brand in Italy and that of our partner Intralot. We will also be looking to launch in France with a business-to-business partner to achieve scale quickly.”

A spokesperson would not confirm if the firm was already in talks with potential French partners for to offer online poker platform and added that any B2B launch could be complemented by a Party brand launch.

Ryan pledged to carry out further consolidation activity in the coming months also but refused to be drawn on which online sports betting company PartyGaming might acquire or merge with.

Ryan said PartyGaming’s intention was to be a leader in all egaming verticals, which it had achieved in poker, casino and bingo, with the recent acquisition of Cashcade. Sports remained the one vertical it had to address to complete its consumer- and business-facing product range.

The company will also push its online bingo brands on its own platform rather than 888’s Globalcom in a major way in Spain, Scandinavia and soon in Italy through both consumer and business deals, “we can fund and grow our own brands or carry out B2B deals,” Ryan said.

PartyGaming would continue to monitor the situation in the US, Ryan said, as both itself and business prospects monitored the ongoing legal developments there.