Full steam ahead for DragonfishThe industry may be consolidating at a rate of knots but there is still plenty enough for everyone to go around in South Africa, according to Tsogo Sun Gaming, which has confirmed that their deal with Dragonfish is not under threat by its recent £1.75bn merger with Gold Reef Resorts. The former company agreed in September for 888’s business-to-business arm Dragonfish to provide services for a new TSG online brand that plans to expand into poker, bingo and casino gaming when regulations allow. And that deal will still stand. Unless, of course, the South Africans...

Do I look bovvered?Normally it’s the French that are accused of arrogance but in this case you couldn’t get more bullish than Unibet chief executive Petter Nylander. Along with Bwin, 888 and Sportingbet, Unibet faces a law suit for unfair competition brought by the Barriere, Joagroupe and Tranchant casinos and the Casinos de France trade union, who claim that as foreigner operators they are contravening gaming legislation by offering casino games. But with a dismissive wave of the hand, Nylander said that was “relaxed” about the case and that his side would “definitely...

Another games release888’s a major player. Not content with keeping the industry guessing about which company it plans to jump into bed with, it is also churning out games like Santa at Christmas time. Here are five more for the portfolio. Read more.

No, not that EmmanuelleBan Camembert and Brie, boycott Bordeaux and Chardonnay, throw away those ‘arty’ films starring Emmanuelle Beart you couldn’t bring yourself to chuck out. Ok, maybe keep them. Thing is those pesky Frenchmen are at it again, seeking to bar Johnny Foreigner (that’s SportingBet, 888, Unibet and Bwin to you and me) from operating in France when the Gallic market is liberalized this summer. Read more. And what if they don’t succeed? Can you set lorries on fire on the borders of cyberspace? They might have to think of something because the lawyers...

He who merges first merges longestIt’s still early in the year, but it seems that 2010 will be all about consolidation. It’s not exactly a sexy word but, in the gaming industry, it appears to be foxier than Joanna Krupa in a swimsuit and on more people’s lips than Tiger Woods on a night out in Vegas. For starters the Bwin/PartyGaming merger talk won’t go away – and as we reported last week if that happens there will be so many takeovers flying around it will be like a week down at Portsmouth football club. But even if there is no catalyst provided by such a dangerous liaison between...

Shuffle up and wheel and dealThe proposed merger between PartyGaming and Bwin could result in the ultimate high-stakes game with online poker market the first prize. If rumours are not actually all talk and no trousers for once and the merger goes ahead then the new company would become the online equivalent of the Bellagio or Ceasars Palace. What’s more, other sites like 888, Sportingbet, and Playtech would have to find partners to pool their chips together and weed out the smaller sites that are chipping away at the profits. And we thought they were tying to stop the sharks from eating...

Shares slump as government plans clampdownShares in William Hill Plc and Ladbrokes Plc fell after the UK government said it plans to introduce stricter licensing requirements and a levy on overseas gambling firms that want to provide their services to British consumers. The measures, which parliament are still to approve, will not just affect William Hill and Ladbrokes, who moved their online operations to Gibraltar in August to dodge UK tax and levies, but PartyGaming Plc, 888 Holdings Plc and Sportingbet Plc. Read more.

According to John Apiafi, the top ten brands in online gaming are Bodog, 888, Betfair, Bwin, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, William Hill, Party Poker and Pokerstars. Apiafi compared brands on the frequency that they appeared in Google alerts, with Bodog taking the top spot in December. Read more…

Are Partygaming eyeing up 888?While all the latest rumour-mongering had PartyGaming fluttering its eyelids at Bwin, it seems that the UK gaming operator might actually be getting deep down and dirty with 888 instead. At least that’s what the Independent reckons. Read more.

A nice slice of bingo pie888’s acquisition of Wink Bingo, as reported here yesterday, has given the operator a huge presence in what the Times refers to as ‘the fastest growing segment in the online gambling market’. Bingo is expected to grow by a staggering 25% next year. And we thought there was a recession on. Read more.