888 Holdings has confirmed that it has had various preliminary discussions with third parties following the suspension of its US activities. According to UK press reports, the online casino had been in discussions with PartyGaming for a merger that would create a £1.6bn company.
“The biggest problem facing gaming companies is that each one’s pool of players has been dramatically reduced by the removal of the American market. Now when players sign on, there are a lot fewer people to play against, which means even those that are legally allowed to play are finding it less interesting,” one insider told the Sunday Times.
Earlier this month, PartyGaming\’s CEO Mitch Garber said the new US gambling laws provided a “golden consolidation opportunity”.
Garber also told the Sunday Times that “consolidation is the most sensible way to grow the business right now.”
Both 888 and PartyGaming are headquartered in Gibraltar, where the government\’s opposition recently urged online gambling employers to discriminate in favour of Gibraltarian employees as cuts are about to be made in the online gambling industry.
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