Coral to leave Party Gaming / Skins

[Robby Box]

03-11-05 15:45

UPDATE 1-Gala to leave PartyGaming poker platform - sources

(Adds company, analyst quotes, background)
By Pete Harrison
LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Britain's Gala is set to move its
Coral Eurobet online poker operations away from the software
platform of PartyGaming <PRTY.L> in a move that would hurt other
Web sites using the platform, such as Empire Online <EOL.L>,
industry sources said.
Since October, PartyGaming has operated two software
platforms -- one for players on its own PartyPoker Web site, and
another for partners such as Coral Eurobet and Empire, known as
"skins", which use PartyGaming's software to power their own
poker rooms.
Players on PartyGaming's skin Web sites can play against
each other, and the skins have always relied on each other for
liquidity. The loss of a larger skin like Coral Eurobet would
hurt the other three by reducing their liquidity.
Gala declined to comment on the move, as did PartyGaming.
But PartyGaming Director of Corporate Communications John
Shepherd said: "In the first half, the skins, of which there are
four, contributed less than 4 percent of PartyGaming's poker
revenues."
"Our relationship with the skins has always been clear," he
added. "If it makes strategic sense for either business,
contracts can be terminated and we can part."
Analyst Greg Feehely at Altium Securities said Gala leaving
would be bad news for Empire, which said on Thursday it had
received a bid approach from PartyGaming.
"It's a very realistic possibility that Gala would want to
take control just as PartyGaming did," he said. "It's a further
unwelcome move for Empire, but the company's continued
independence looks unlikely anyway."
PartyGaming's shares were unchanged at 93 pence by 1424 GMT,
while Empire Online was down 1.7 percent at 113 pence.
((Reporting by Pete Harrison, editing by Tom Pfeiffer; Reuters
Messaging: pete.harrison.reuters.com@reuters.net; +44 207 542
7975))

[primetime32]

any thoughts on where eurobet would wind up? and when will this split occur?

[goodguy_1]

not unexpected a huge shakeout is in the works.... it would be great if Gala would merge into a better network and rakeback survived but I'm sure that's dubious.

things are getting very nasty out there on both sides of the game..

[timprov]

[ QUOTE ]
any thoughts on where eurobet would wind up? and when will this split occur?

[/ QUOTE ]

My feeling since the split is that if Tain had any sense at all they'd be courting Eurobet. So that's my first guess. Second is that they go off on their own rather than joining a new network.

[Petteri]

Playtech(iPoker) could be Eurobet's choice. But there are many software providers around. Eurobet could have own network with i.e Playtech's software.

Empire will possibly also join iPoker pretty soon. Playtech has good software which has only small number of users.

Tain is one possibility, but as Expekt suffered complete disaster due to software problems, I do not think Eurobet will join Tain until Expekt is up and running again.

[goodguy_1]

Noble which Empire owns is part of the Playtech Network right? I'm not sure which room is the driving force on Playtech but a good guess would be Noble right. Empire already owns Noble so for EuroBet to buy-out Playtech they have to deal with Empire in some fashion I would think. Doesnt sound likely unless Empire and EuroBet merge all their poker operations together.

I dont really know much about Playtech other than that Titan and a few other rooms I never heard are part of the network. What part does Empire already play in the ownership of the Playtech network other than Noble-I have no clue.

Noble has more games than I thought but overall the action is sparse and the software is pretty damn lame.

[daveymck]

Not really a surprise given whats happened. Gala were looking to expand their online bingo so that may inpact where they go, although it wouldnt surprise me for them to goto Crypto along with the other UK bookies Will Hill etc.

[Robby Box]

[ QUOTE ]
Not really a surprise given whats happened. Gala were looking to expand their online bingo so that may inpact where they go, although it wouldnt surprise me for them to goto Crypto along with the other UK bookies Will Hill etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Crypto the place Betfair just left to go to pokerchamps /images/graemlins/ooo.gif

[daveymck]

I thought betfair had just this week extended their contract with crypto?

from their forum announcements

Betfair, the world’s leading betting exchange, and CryptoLogic Inc., a leading software developer to the global Internet casino and poker markets, have agreed to a contract extension through CryptoLogic’s licensing subsidiary, WagerLogic Limited, until June 2006 and with an option to extend to January 2007.

Since its launch 18 months ago, Betfair Poker has worked closely with WagerLogic to produce one of Europe’s fastest growing poker rooms. But the Hammersmith-based firm, renowned for betting innovation, is developing its own technology and planning to take poker provision in-house.

“It has always been Betfair’s strategy to own and operate our own software for all our core products,” said Steve Ives, Director of Betfair Games. “As a technology-driven betting company it is part of our natural evolution to examine ways of how we can continue offering our customers that little bit more distinction.”

“We are pursuing ways to do this and will be ready to proceed when the current contract expires. I’d like to thank WagerLogic for its pivotal contribution to Betfair Poker and we look forward to working closely with them in the coming months.”

[Robby Box]

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2005/11/betfair-buys-pokerchamps.htm

[1p0kerb0y]

Surprised this is already <almost> on the third page back with only 9 replies.

I'm not sure how much business Euro brings the 'skins but I would guess it would be around 35%.

Does this pretty much seal the fate of the 'skins? Perhaps Empire should sell now while they still have buyer interest and some value.

The landscape of online poker is in the midst of some major changes and this won't be the only one. Bonuses are going to be rarer and less valuable and legalized rakeback is going to be hard to come by as well, especially at the larger sites.

However, the sky is far from falling. It seems that several major sites are going to be putting forth a VIP program which rewards players for playing on their site.

Also, the games themselves are going to continue to be profitable and quite possibly will be even moreso than they were before.

I would guess that as we move on the larger sites will get larger and the smaller sites will get smaller (relative to each other). I expect to see the middle class get smaller simply due to the nature of this business and some of the coinciding events that are taking place.

[goodguy_1]

I wonder how much Gus Hansen lost on this venture?

I dont see any mention of the terms of the deal.

[Tracksuit.Man]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder how much Gus Hansen lost on this venture?

I dont see any mention of the terms of the deal.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hear Gus got most of he shares in pokerchamps for nothing and made $4 million out of it..I also hear he was big on selling to betfair , because he need the money to get back into the game at the WSOP, but the deal took a long time to do

EuroBet will buy somebody outright..maybe Tribeca

[Tracksuit.Man]

[ QUOTE ]

“It has always been Betfair’s strategy to own and operate our own software for all our core products,” said Steve Ives, Director of Betfair Games. “As a technology-driven betting company it is part of our natural evolution to examine ways of how we can continue offering our customers that little bit more distinction.”

“We are pursuing ways to do this and will be ready to proceed when the current contract expires. I’d like to thank WagerLogic for its pivotal contribution to Betfair Poker and we look forward to working closely with them in the coming months.”

[/ QUOTE ]

If you delete the first part and read the 2nd , it sound some much diff

[goodguy_1]

[ QUOTE ]
EuroBet will buy somebody outright..maybe Tribeca


[/ QUOTE ]
good for Gus hope thats true-sounds a little high thu

that would be a smart deal. Tribeca has very good software. I've played on Golden Palace for last few years and also DoylesRoom.

I guess all prior rakeback deals with eurobet would vanish regretably. It would be sweet if EB bought out VC/GP and maintianed current rakeback agreements with affiliates. The problem would be thu that VC/GP is a fairly small room as you know with some of the sickest/best games online...having a bunch of EuroBet rakeback sharks invade Tribeca will kill the games imo...Tribeca just isnt big enough to fade that.

And also do you think Golden Palace will just stand idly by as Gala buys out their Network. Golden Palace may not be keen on that. Golden Palace has been sitting on their hands ie poker for years..they could buy out Tribeca or Vic Chandler could do the same. Not sure which room has the most leverage withn the Tribeca network. I know VC was the intitial room that drove traffic then Golden Palace joined up after that..then they added dozens of skins.

[Tracksuit.Man]

Coral/Gala is now $4 Billion USD..if Golden Palace walk. where are they going to go, to another network and be a skin, same thing..Golden Palace has the money to buy Tribece, they would make a offer

Skins are dead, i would never play at a skin from this day on, to much risk..just look what party did to empire

[goodguy_1]

Gala (http://www.galagroup.co.uk/)

holy crap bingo is big money in the UK

[Vavavoom]

[ QUOTE ]
Gala (http://www.galagroup.co.uk/)

holy crap bingo is big money in the UK

[/ QUOTE ]

For some reason - that statement made me chuckle...

Bingo is big business...Hence the PartyBingo idea...??


I think post-xmas, when the dust is beginning to settle there will be a new line-up on the poker front....A lot of them are changing their strategies re. the Party Split etc...and it can only benefit us players....

[_And1_]

[ QUOTE ]
Crypto the place Betfair just left to go to pokerchamps

[/ QUOTE ]

No, Betfair bought Pokerchamps but will stay at crypto according to contracts...

[Sniper]

[ QUOTE ]
No, Betfair bought Pokerchamps but will stay at crypto according to contracts...

[/ QUOTE ]

Betfair will stay on the crypto network, until they can successfully integrate their pokerchamps (and its software development company) acquisition. It is Betfair's stated policy, and confirmed by Crypto, that Betfair intends to move to their own system.

The latest contract extension between Betfair and Crypto was until June 2006.

[_And1_]

Exactly... thou on some posts it appeared as if betfair was leaving crypto next week... that why i wrote what i wrote...