888 and WMS agree online poker deal

ators 888 and manufacturers WMS Gaming have entered into an online poker alliance.

The deal will see WMS market and distribute 888’s online poker solution to land-based casino customers in the US, initially on a play-for-fun basis, with a real money product launched as and when the US legalises online poker at either state or Federal level.

The firms say the arrangement will create a front-end solution which will enable land-based casino operators to “leverage and aggregate” their customer databases, thus building large-scale player pools.

Both 888 and WMS submitted applications for Nevada interactive gaming licences earlier this year.

888 chief executive Brian Mattingley said: "The combination of 888's cutting edge online poker platform and WMS' customer relationships, marketing and distribution capabilities, provides the opportunity to build a substantial online presence.”