PartyGaming, Bwin Merge Into Online Gambling Superpower
Two of the largest online gambling companies announced Thursday that a merger has been planned between the two entities. PartyGaming and Bwin Interactive Entertainment will be combining to become the world’s biggest publicly traded Internet gambling company.
Both PartyGaming and Bwin are full blown gambling sites, incorporating online casinos, sports betting, and online poker. Due to their extensive size and available options, these two publicly traded online gambling companies have managed to take strong market shares where they could legally operate.
Currently, neither Bwin nor PartyGaming allow American players to join their real money websites, though this could change in the near future, as the United States is working toward regulating online gambling.
The proposed merger has come at a pivotal time, as the United States may be reopening its doors to the online gambling market. While these two gambling companies have been losing ground due to the fact that some of the larger online gambling sites, particularly in the poker industry, are still operating in the United States.
“I used to play at PartyPoker before they decided to stop accepting American players,” began Donald D., a player from North Carolina. “I refuse to play anywhere else, I just love the PartyPoker software. I am waiting until they come back to the States.”
Though the merger has been announced and planned, the two companies have not yet tied the knot. Shareholders will have to approve of the merger. Executives from both entities have been urging shareholders to sign off on the merger in order to create a monolithic online gambling company that will, when the time comes, return to the United States market with a flourishing reputation and player base.
Whether or not the PartyGaming site will become one of the USA online gambling sites is still up for debate, as HR 2267 has not yet passed.
