Live dealer significant addition to 888 expansion 16/01/2008

Jake Pollard

Gigi Levy, chief executive of online casino giant 888, said the majority of the company’s growth would come from Europe and South America this year, but Asia would be the region to look to for the next major industry push after that.

Levy was speaking as 888 announced its partnership with Macau-based online gaming solutions and marketing firm Entertasia to provide it with live dealer casino technology and an Asian-focused sportsbook through E-Sky, an Entertasia subsidiary.

Levy said: “The live dealer is a prerequisite for the Asian market and having consulted the market we decided that Entertasia was the partner we wanted to go with.”

Levy would not expand on how the company would differentiate the 888 live dealer product from the Asian-focused competition, but said 888 would focus on what it does best: marketing, acquisition and retention of customers; leaving Entertasia to concentrate on operating and managing the product.

In terms of market awareness, Levy said 888 had been marketing itself across Asia for a number of years already and had acquired a substantial customer base there. “What we have noticed is that many of our customers have been commenting that we do not have a live dealer. We looked at that issue and decided we had to have one. You are not going to have a successful casino in the Far East without live dealer,” Levy added.

Asia has been talked about in promising terms on numerous occasions, and Levy confirmed that the factors that could lead to serious online gaming growth there were falling into place. His company’s presence in South America had been reinforced by the recent Tower Torneos agreement, Levy said, and allied to 888’s strong position in Europe, the Asian-focused live dealer casino was another significant step in 888’s international expansion. 

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Posted: 16/01/2008