888 Holdings will launch a localised Romanian product in September; OnlinePokerReport suggests 888 are in talks with the principal California tribes, and Fortuna Entertainment uses Romanian experience to expand Playtech relationship.
888 Holding forgets about its tempestuous relationship with William Hill for a second to focus on growth in Romania. The online gambling operator is set to launch 888.ro in the newly regulated online gambling market on September 1.
The Romanian version will crush the 888Casino, 888Poker, and 888Sport brands into a one stop shop. Players will be able to choose a localised language and currency version.
888 Holdings CEO, Itai Frieberger, said that he was delighted with the move promising to expose local players to the ‘global brand’ while maintaining a ‘unique, local flavour.’
Frieberger’s team are one of many online gambling entities that have received licensure from the Oficiul national pentru Jocuri de Noroc, but they are certainly one of the most prestigious.
Fortuna Entertainment Group Partner With Playtech
Speaking of the Romanian online gambling economy, Fortuna Entertainment Group’s partnership with Playtech is about to expand beyond the Romanian borders and into the lands of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia once online legislation settles in those eastern European countries.
Playtech supplied the software for Fortuna’s recent dash for cyber land in the new Romanian online gambling landscape. The pair were so happy with the Romanian launch that they agreed to extend their partnership.
Fortuna CEO Per Widerström believes Fortuna has what it takes to become the leading multi-channel multi-product operator in Central and Eastern Europe and sees Playtech as a big part of that equation.
888 Enter The California Mess
Swinging back to 888 Holdings, and Steve Ruddock of OnlinePokerReport (OPR) has written an interesting piece on the future of online poker in California titled: Key Tribes Enter Online Poker Partnership Talks Ahead of Legislation in California.
The piece takes a look at the potential partnerships between online operators and land-based casino operators should online gambling become legal in the state. The article begins with a statement that 888 are in talks with ‘at least two key’ California tribes with the Pechanga Band of Luiseño and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians named. The source of the information wasn’t named.
Both Pechanga and Agua Caliente are in the opposite corner of the ring to PokerStars and their Coalition, so that’s interesting. As Ruddock points out, 888 are already ideally positioned in the US market with relationships and operations in all three states offering a fully regulated and licensed online gambling/poker experience.
Ruddock points to Pechanga’s apparent lack of an online platform partner as a potential ‘underlying reason’ for their less than exuberant attempts at finding a solution to the California online poker bill’s core issues, namely the ‘PokerStars Problem.’
