Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

Sector leader PartyGaming said on Thursday it was in talks to buy part of Empire, which confirmed it was selling gaming assets to become an investment company. "It'll include Empire's Noble Poker and Club Dice casino sites," said one industry source, adding that the deal was expected to be completed by the end of this week. PartyGaming is leading the race to consolidate the on-line gaming sector, having moved into bookmaking by buying Gamebookers in August and having held talks to buy 888. The group once towered over rivals with a market capitalisation of nearly STG5 billion ($NZ14 billion), but when the United States banned on-line gambling in November it lost over three quarters of its value and began seeking ways to recover mass. Another source said that after any deal was concluded, PartyGaming could strike a software licensing deal with Playtech, which already powers Empire's sites. It would be Playtech's first deal with PartyGaming. PartyGaming shares gained 2.5 per cent to 30½ pence by 1245 GMT on Thursday, while Empire's shares rose by as much as 7 per cent, but were later down by 2.3 per cent at 43 pence. The two companies have previously been partners, but suffered an acrimonious split last year when PartyGaming ring-fenced its own poker players from those of four affiliates including Empire, which relied on PartyGaming software. The split hit Empire hard, knocking 10 per cent off its profits, and causing it to sue PartyGaming last December. That dispute was settled in February when PartyGaming bought assets including Empire's damaged EmpirePoker business for $US250 million. Empire's Internet casino generated revenues of $US30.2 million in the first half of 2006, while its poker site generated $US8 million, but like most of its peers it has since quit the world's most lucrative gaming market, the United States. PartyGaming is planning to take on board some of Empire's marketing experts who have helped it stand out against bigger rivals in the past, sources said. Empire has been seeking to distance itself from on-line gaming since September. On Thursday, Empire said, "Following any such disposal, the company's intention is to become an investing company." "The proceeds of any disposal would be used together with the company's existing cash of approximately $US250 million to invest opportunisticly in both private and public businesses and across the small, mid and large-cap range of companies," it added.