Long-running partnership
888 Holdings Plc has announced that it has extended its exclusive online poker partnership agreement with Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE). This multi-year deal means that 888 will continue to supply the technology for Caesars Entertainment’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) online poker brand, which it started doing in 2013.
This extension comes at a time when the WSOP brand is looking to enter additional US markets that have legal online poker, such as Pennsylvania.
keeps 888 as the operator of the sole interstate poker network in the United States
888’s online platform allows for WSOP to offer internet poker rooms on both desktop and mobile. The partnership also keeps 888 as the operator of the sole interstate poker network in the United States, the All American Poker Network (AAPN). The AAPN allows for player liquidity sharing between Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey, resulting in a larger player base and as a result, better availability of different types of poker formats and games.
Expanding its offering
Following the partnership extension, 888 is set to launch its “Poker 8” next generation software in the US market. This technology initially launched in Europe last November and enhances the overall user experience and adds new features, such as multi-flight and multi-day tournaments.
Another aspect of the agreement sees 888 remaining as the supplier of online casino technology to CIE’s brands, such as the WSOP Casino and Harrah’s Online Casino in New Jersey.
Reacting to the continued partnership, 888’s head of US operations Yaniv Sherman spoke about the excitement of potentially adding states to the interstate network this year, as well as entering new markets that have legal online poker.
WSOP executive director and CIE vice president Ty Stewart noted the success of the partnership to date and spoke about the optimism for the future of online poker in the United States.
Gaining a foothold in the US
888 Holdings is a global operator of a variety of different forms of online gambling, including poker, sports betting, and casino games. Many of its platforms target players in Europe, but the company has been eyeing the burgeoning US online sector in recent years.
the first online-only poker operator to get a license to operate in the US market
It was actually the first online-only gambling operator to get a license in the US market when it obtained Nevada Gaming Commission approval back in 2013. A number of 888-branded platforms are up and running in the US.
For example, it has an online casino, sportsbook, and poker platform live in New Jersey and poker in both Nevada and Delaware, as previously mentioned. In early December 2020, the company announced that it had secured market access deals in Colorado, Indiana, and Iowa, which will initially see the launch of 888Sport in these states this year.
