Just a week after
announcing it was considering buying Empire Poker, one of its “skin” sites, PartyGaming said last week that it is purchasing the assets, player database, and intellectual property of Multipoker.com, another skin, for $14.5 million. This move comes exactly one month after PartyGaming cut off its formal financial ties to its four skin poker rooms.
PartyGaming is also taking control of IntertopsPoker.com, making it an “affiliate” for the next fifteen months, as well as buying the company’s player database. As an affiliate, Intertops will market PartyGaming’s online poker room, Party Poker, to its customers.
While Party is absorbing or looking to absorb three of its four skins, Empire Poker, Intertops Poker, and Multi Poker, it is completely ending its relationship with the fourth skin, Coral Eurobet. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that Eurobet will be joining the OnGame Network, home of PokerRoom.com. PartyGaming has said that it will help Coral Eurobet in its transition.
Richard Segal, PartyGaming CEO, said: "PartyGaming's business strategy is clear and is being implemented as planned. We now look forward to the launch of the Party-branded integrated platform in the first half of 2006 when we will expand the number of games available to our customers, who will be able to use one account and a shared purse."