888.com, operator of the 888ladies.com online bingo hall and one of the biggest online games operators in the world, signed up Ash Gaming to supply virtual horse and dog racing and fixed-odds games for its clients.

888.com is currently pursuing a strategy of promoting partnerships with online games suppliers for targeting specific online gaming audience. The Ash Gaming deal aims at the horse and dog racing market whilst a series of previous deals has catered to casino, poker, slots and online bingo games.

888.com’s senior vice-president, head of offering Gabi Campos says: “Our analysis shows that sports fans that frequent 888′s branded websites or those of our strategic partners like to combine their real-world sports gaming experience with a virtual sports gaming extension. The partnership with Ash Gaming provides a solid response to this demand and complements our current extensive gaming offering.”

The Ash Gaming range of games will be integrated into 888.com’s gaming arena and shared wallet.

888.com has signed a deal with online games developer Dynamite Idea for the provision of games to its growing inventory of third party online games products.

The move continues a strategy by 888.com that has seen the company sign deals with a number of games developers including Rival, CryptoLogic and GTS, all of which are involved in producing online bingo platforms.

888.com says it plans to integrate Dynamite Idea games into their inventory.

888.com provides online bingo games as part of its offerings and has posted strong growth in the bingo games online sector. The deal with Dynamite Idea will also see 888.com including Dynamite’s games as part of their white label offerings to their various partners.

888.com has completed a fourth partnership deal, this one with online game-server software developer Rival Powered.

Rival Powered provides gambling suites and backend systems for several online casinos and actively markets its ‘i-slots‘ games. The deal will see Rival Powered providing 888.com with its range of games and backend systems for 888.com to integrate into its cross-platform system.

888.com has vigorously pursued a strategy of seeking partnerships to consolidate its position in the online gaming industry. 888.com is an online bingo games operator through its popular Bingo Street-rated online bingo hall 888ladies.com.

Rival Powered CEO Patrick Stacey said of the deal: “Rival is proud and eager to partner with 888 in providing its visually rich and highly interactive offering of games to a wider audience.”

888.com has signed previous partnerships with Cryptologic, Electracade and GTS.

Written for Eyes Down Bingo by Anthea – Your Bingo UK blog

888.com’s strategy of consolidation through partnerships took another step forward with the signing of a third partnership deal within the month.

The company has signed a strategic deal with UK-based online gaming content provider Electracade. Electracade boasts over 100 different games including sports betting, casinos scratch-cards and online bingo. These games will now be made available to 888.com as part of the partnership deal.
“As part of the continued execution of our strategy to select ‘best-of-breed’ partners to provide us with additional games I am delighted that this agreement enables us to access Electracade‘s soft and instant games portfolio, which is complementary to our existing internally developed gaming portfolio,” said Gigi Levy, CEO at 888.com.

888.com has recently closed other deals with online games software provider Cryptologic and also with Gaming Technology Solutions. 888.com’s popular online bingo hall winkbingo places the company firmly within the free online bingo industry and the recent partnerships signal the company’s intention to remain in online gambling’s fastest growing niche.

Written by Anthea for Eyes Down Bingo – Your Bingo UK blog

888.com’s financial results for 2007 show just how painful it was for online gaming operators to withdraw from the US gambling market with the implementation of UIGEA in late 2006. A major online bingo games operator, 888.com said its profits had been hit by a 54% decline in 2007.

The Gibraltar-based company and second largest online gambling operator in the UK was forced to exit the US market due to UIGEA to avoid potential prosecution action by US authorities. Many online bingo operators and online bingo halls followed suit in the wake of UIGEA.

888.com’s net income fell to $34.2 million as opposed to $74.5 million in 2006. It is estimated the company lost up to 55% of its sales after exiting the US market.

In the process of its move out of the US market, 888 has reduced jobs and purchased an bingo online operator. It has also developed new partnerships with gaming companies including Blue Square.

“2007 was a year of transformation,” 888.com CEO Gigi Levy said. “With many strategic initiatives now underway, we see a bright future.”

888 spent $32.4 million last year buying bingo operators that include Bingo Ballroom.

“There is a high likelihood we will make another acquisition in 2008,” said CEO Levy in a recent interview with Bloomberg. “We are looking at a few companies.”