The two companies released similarly worded statements through the London Stock Exchange on Friday. Ladbrokes’ statement read, “In response to press speculation, Ladbrokes announced on 20 December 2010 that it was in very preliminary discussions with 888 Holdings PLC regarding a possible offer for 888. Ladbrokes today announces that these discussions have been terminated.”

In a simultaneous release to the London Stock Exchange, 888 Holdings’ statement read, “Further to the announcement made by 888 on 20 December 2010 concerning discussions with Ladbrokes PLC regarding a possible transaction, the Board of 888 announces that the parties have agreed to discontinue talks.”

The discussions, which had been ongoing since last December, would have seen two strong online and live bookmaking and poker operations joining forces in a highly competitive industry. While not confirmed, the price of the merger was rumored to be in the neighborhood of £240 million (approximately $391 million). The glacial pace of the negotiations was also rumored to be one of the reasons for the departure of former 888 Chief Executive Officer Gigi Levy, who resigned last weekend.

Although merger discussions have fallen through, 888 and Ladbrokes continue to show their strength through the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2011. The companies released their respective quarterly reports prior to the start of trading on the London Stock Exchange on Friday.

888 released its First Quarter 2011 Key Performance Indicator report on Thursday, showing increases across the board. The group’s revenue was $75 million, up 9% over the $69 million from the same time period in 2010 and up 6% over the fourth quarter of 2010. 888 Holdings reports that every area of the company was responsible for these increases, including its casino and poker operations.

888 reports that the company has 9.2 million casino, poker, and sports betting real money customer accounts as of the end of March, an increase of 21% versus the same time in 2010. Casino revenues have increased 2% for Q1 2011 over Q1 2010, with revenues of $33 million. Poker revenues, which decreased in Q1 2011 versus the same time period in 2010 ($11 million versus $12 million), show an increase when compared to Q4 2010.

Richard Kilsby, the Chairman of 888 Holdings, took time during the announcement of the Q1 2011 numbers to thank Levy for his service to the company. “These record results are a fitting end to Gigi’s tenure as CEO at 888 and provide an excellent base from which to grow the business in 2011. The Board would like to thank Gigi for his contribution during his time as CEO and look forward to his continuing involvement as a member of the Board.”

In its report, Ladbrokes also showed that revenues and profits were on the rise. The group’s net revenue for the first quarter of 2011 was up 2.3%, with especially high performance in a six-week period from mid-February to the end of March (4.2%). Operating profits were up 1.9%, but this was affected by a one-time VAT payment for 2010; excluding the VAT payment, operating profits were up 20%.

Ladbrokes chief executive Richard Glynn was optimistic about the continued strong performance of the company for the rest of 2011: “We expect the economic climate in the U.K. to remain challenging in 2011, with consumer confidence and disposable incomes continuing to suffer. Notwithstanding this, at this early stage in the year, the business is performing in line with the Board’s expectations.”

In a brief statement to shareholders on Saturday, 888 Holdings Chairman Richard Kilsby simply announced, “After a difficult first half of 2010, the Company has experienced three consecutive quarters of growth. Following very strong trading in Q1 2011, which has continued into Q2, Gigi has decided to step down, leaving the company well positioned for the future.”

“The Board would like to thank Gigi for his contribution during his time as CEO,” Kilsby concluded. “Since the UIGEA ruling changed the industry, Gigi has been central to positioning 888 as one of the world’s most popular and leading online gaming companies.”

Levy will continue to assist the company over the next six months. According to the statement, he will spend 50% of his time assisting with the search for his replacement. Additionally, he will remain on the Board of Directors for 888 Holdings even though he has stepped down from his position as CEO.

Although no reason for Levy’s departure was given, several sources have stepped forward with possible explanations. The London Telegraph’s Alistair Osborne reports that Levy “has had various disagreements with the company’s founding shareholders, the Israel-based Shaked and Ben Yitzhak families, who own about 60% of the shares (in the company).”

Reuters, meanwhile, stated that Levy was frustrated over the sedentary nature of takeover discussions with the British bookmaker Ladbrokes. The deal is rumored to be worth around £240 million. Reuters and the Telegraph seem to believe that this indicates there are problems with the merger, but an 888 spokesperson told Reuters on Sunday, “This had no bearing on the takeover talks with Ladbrokes, discussions are continuing.”

Another interesting angle investigated by the Telegraph is why Levy will stay on the Board of Directors at 888 Holdings after his replacement is hired. According to Osborne’s article, if Levy had been released from the Board, one of the companies under 888’s ownership, Wink Bingo, could have triggered a clause in its contract for an immediate buyout totaling £59.7 million.

888 Holdings has organized a nomination committee to search for its next CEO and will use an executive search firm to help guide the committee. For the immediate future, 888 Holdings has named Senior Independent Director Brian Mattingley as its interim leader. According to the 888 Holdings’ statement, Mattingley will “work closely with management on all aspects of the business” while a new CEO is found.

Levy joined 888 Holdings in 2006 and, one year later, stepped into the position of CEO. During his tenure, 888 Holdings had to absorb losses due to the enactment of the UIGEA in 2006 and the worldwide financial collapse of 2008. Most recently, 888 Holdings was able to negotiate a deal with Caesars Entertainment, the owners of the World Series of Poker, for operation of a branded poker room that is available to players outside of the United States, among other potential partnerships.

Through the trying times of his tenure, however, Levy was able to keep 888 Holdings as one of the premier online poker rooms and casinos in the industry. According to the most recent statistics from PokerScout.com, 888 is currently the 11th largest online poker room in the industry.

Party Gaming and bwin first announced their intentions to merge back in July. The companies issued a 478-page document to shareholders in December giving a detailed outline of the planned merger. Shareholders voted on the transaction at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in January, where bwin shareholders unanimously approved of all five resolutions. A total of 335 shareholders attended bwin’s EGM, representing 18.1 million shares.

On April 1, existing bwin shareholders received 12.23 bwin.party depositary interests for each bwin share, giving bwin’s shareholders approximately 52% of the enlarged group. The exchange ratio of 12.23 bwin.party depositary interests for each bwin share will result in so-called “fractional entitlements,” rights to fractions of bwin.party depositary interests that cannot be traded on the London Stock Exchange.

Jim Ryan and Norbert Teufelberger will now begin their new roles as co-CEOs of Bwin.party digital entertainment. Ryan took over as Party Gaming CEO in May 2008 and helped the company expand beyond its flagship poker site PartyPoker. Teufelberger was appointed to the bwin executive board in 2000 before assuming the role of CEO in June 2001.

In a joint statement, the pair said, “We are delighted that our merger is now complete so that we can start with the integration of our businesses and capturing the synergies we have already identified. As we make the transition from unregulated to regulated markets, we have an excellent opportunity to capitalize on our market-leading positions in sports betting, poker, casino, and games as well as bingo.”

The merger also brought several changes in upper management, as Simon Duffy takes over as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board. Former bwin COO Joachim Baca will reprise his role with bwin.party and former Party Gaming Finance Director Martin Weigold will act as CFO of the new group.

Said Duffy, “Congratulations to bwin.party’s directors and employees on managing the merger through to completion. This is a landmark day for the online gaming sector and bwin.party is now in a position to leverage its combined resources to take maximum advantage of regulating markets and the exciting opportunities in the real money gaming and digital entertainment sectors.”

With the merger, Party Gaming hopes to even the playing field in the online poker arena as it positions itself to re-enter the U.S. market. PartyPoker recently dropped to fourth in the PokerScout.com online traffic rankings behind the iPoker Network and industry leaders PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, which both recently partnered with Las Vegas-based casinos in March. PokerStars and Wynn Resorts announced a strategic partnership last week, while Full Tilt teamed up with Station Casinos’ owners on Thursday to support the Federal legislation of online poker.

The new company also hopes the merge will expand the PartyPoker brand in Europe. bwin poker previously resided on the Ongame Network, but now combines its client base with PartyPoker to create what should become the third largest online poker room in the world.

Said Ryan, “I don’t know that there’s any competitor out there who has a scale to attack and be successful in each of those markets over the course of the next couple of years. This is what this merger does for us.”

Caesars dealers voted 303-2 against the proposed contract that would have forced them to share 15% of their tips. They also frowned upon a provision that would have required workers to deal cards for 80 minutes followed by a 20-minute break. The current industry standard is 60 minutes of work.

Caesars Palace dealers voted to join the Transport Workers Union in December 2007, a decision that allowed them to reject the tip-sharing policy this month. At the time, dealers feared a tip-sharing policy, but Gary Selesner, President of Caesars Palace, said the practice of sharing tips had never been considered and the property’s management didn’t support it. That has apparently changed as of this year.

Contract negotiations are set to resume April 12th and only involve dealers at Caesars Palace; Caesars Entertainment’s nine other Las Vegas properties will not be included in the talks. The ultimate goal for the dealers is to reach an agreement much like the one achieved by the 800 unionized dealers at Caesars in Atlantic City in November. The five-year contract with the casino increased salaries by 18% with no sharing of tips.

The controversial tip-sharing policy, where dealers share between 15% and 20% of their tips with management, was first implemented in August 2006 at Wynn Las Vegas. Wynn’s decision to change the policy led to the union efforts by dealers, as they voted 3-1 in favor of a union in May 2007.

In July of last year, Nevada Labor Commissioner Michael Tanchek ruled that Wynn Resorts owner Steve Wynn could legally force dealers to share tips with supervisors. Wynn casino dealers appealed that decision; however, attorneys for the company maintained that the tip policy complies with state law and is comparable to a restaurant sharing tips among busboys, bartenders, and waiters.

Caesars’ proposal is written more broadly, entitling “non-dealer employees” to receive up to 15% of the daily tip pool. Management has said it reserves the right to redistribute tips and putting it in the contract doesn’t mean it will be implemented.

Caesars and Wynn Resorts have also been in the news recently regarding their relationships with online poker rooms. Last Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved the first ever business partnership between a state-licensed gaming company and a foreign-based internet gaming operator, as Caesars Entertainment and 888 Holdings teamed up.

Together, the two companies will market the World Series of Poker and Caesars brands to gamblers in the United Kingdom.

That news was followed by an announcement that Wynn Resorts had partnered with PokerStars to support online poker legislation in the United States. The partnership would create a new online poker site, PokerstarsWynn.com, if Federal legislation were made a reality. Unlike the Caesars/888 deal, the Wynn/PokerStars partnership has yet to receive legal approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board or the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest breaking news from Las Vegas.

During the final quarter of 2010, bwin saw gross gaming revenues decline 1.6% from the third quarter to €130.8 million, while net gaming revenues fell 6.1% to €103.1 million. While the company saw record turnover in its sports betting segment – up 16.6% from the fourth quarter of 2009 to €917.0 million – gross gaming revenues in sports fell 2.4% to €65.0 million.

Gross gaming revenues for poker dropped 5.8% from Q4 2009 to €35.5 million, but compared to Q3 2010, the figure was up 6.3%. bwin estimated that it has grabbed over 22% of the online poker market in Italy, which only allows tournaments, not cash games. The company also noted that it is at a competitive disadvantage compared to other sites that still cater to players in the United States, a market that bwin does not service.

In its casino games segment, bwin saw gross gaming revenues dip 3.9% from the same quarter last year to €19.4 million. The main reason for the drop is that bwin ceased offering casino games to French customers in the fourth quarter of 2010. Excluding France, the numbers were up 3.1%.

As one would expect, bwin’s mobile gaming segment surged ahead, with gross gaming revenues soaring 66% versus Q4 2009 to €3.6 million.

Compared to the fourth quarter of 2009, the number of active customers (1,213,000) fell 2.5%, but the number of new active customers (305,000) increased 2.4%.

For the entire 2010 fiscal year, gross gaming revenues increased 15.2% to €514.6 million, while net gaming revenues rose 9.4% to €408.0 million. Sports betting accounted for more than half of the gross gaming revenues in 2010 at €259.3 million, a 14.6% jump from 2009.

Poker fared even better on a percentage basis, with gross gaming revenues rising 17.4% from 2009 to 2010 (€118.8 million to €139.5 million). bwin attributes the bulk of the success to its Italian and French offerings.

Casino games were not as successful because of the aforementioned departure of the French market, but gross gaming revenues in the segment were still up 1.3% versus 2009 (€74.7 million versus €73.7 million). Things should be brighter in 2011, as casino table games are set to launch in Italy this year.

The “games” segment, which includes mini games and bingo, saw gross gaming revenues jump 47.7% to €41.0 million. Mobile gaming skyrocketed from €6.8 million to €12.4 million, an increase of 82.9%.

In other bwin news, its merger with Party Gaming is still on track for the end of the month. Party Gaming released a statement on Wednesday announcing that the Supreme Court of Gibraltar issued a court order that sanctions the merger, effective March 31st. Shareholders of both companies approved the transaction on January 28th.

Currently, PartyPoker ranks as the third most trafficked online poker room or network in terms of cash games, according to PokerScout.com. bwin’s Ongame Network ranks fifth, although the merged company will be selling the Ongame Network as a “surplus asset.” What this means is not exactly known at this point and how many Ongame customers will be part of the new network is up in the air.

These rankings also do not include either company’s French and Italian products. Regardless, it looks like the merged network will be solidly entrenched as the third most trafficked cash game site behind PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

Austrian-based bwin said its shares would cease trading on the Vienna Stock Exchange on March 25. On April 1, existing bwin shareholders will get 12.23 bwin.party depositary interests for each bwin share. Party Gaming stated that these depository interests can then be traded on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “BPTY.” The new shares will give bwin’s shareholders approximately 52% of the enlarged group.

The exchange ratio of 12.23 bwin.party depositary interests for each bwin share will result in so-called “fractional entitlements,” rights to fractions of bwin.party depositary interests that cannot be traded on the London Stock Exchange. In accordance with the terms of the merger, these entitlements will be disposed of and the proceeds of sale credited to the former bwin shareholders in a process that may take up to two weeks.

Party Gaming and bwin first announced their intentions to merge back in July. The companies issued a 478-page document to shareholders in December giving a detailed outline of the planned merger. Shareholders voted on the merger at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in January, where bwin shareholders unanimously approved of all five resolutions relating to the merger. A total of 335 shareholders attended bwin’s EGM, representing 18.1 million shares.

The new group will be jointly run by the current Chief Executives of the two companies, Jim Ryan (Party Gaming) and Norbert Teufelberger (bwin). Party Gaming will keep its main headquarters in Gibraltar, while bwin will continue to operate from Austria.

Bwin has yet to publish its 2010 financial results, but Party Gaming reported a 15% increase in revenue over 2009′s numbers. Despite seeing a 9% decline in poker revenue, the company earned €357.3 million ($498 million) in 2010, compared to €310.1 million ($432 million) the previous year. With the merger, Party Gaming hopes to even the playing field in the online poker arena as it positions itself to re-enter the U.S. market. PartyPoker currently sits in third place in the PokerScout.com online traffic rankings behind the industry leaders PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

Said Party Gaming CEO Ryan, “As our merger with bwin is set to complete on March 31, 2011, we are finalizing our plans to integrate both businesses as quickly as possible and remain confident about delivering the cost and revenue synergies we have already identified in line with the previously announced timetable, with the full €55 million per annum being delivered by 2013. We plan to provide a further update on our progress at the time of the half year results in August 2011.”

bwin.party Digital Entertainment plc will focus on business-to-consumer products, an area in which  both companies currently enjoy considerable strength. However, because of the financial gains added through the merger, the company will also encroach into business-to-business and business-to-government endeavors. Teufelberger explained, “Our many years of online know-how, healthy balance sheet, and one of the largest pools of poker liquidity in any regulated market will make us an attractive business partner.”

This author fondly remembers “Man Versus Food” host Adam Richman trying to tackle the six-pound Big Badass Burrito at the Sahara’s NASCAR Café. After all, if you finish it, it’s free!

Why would a 50-year-old casino on the Las Vegas Strip suddenly cease operations? Sam Nazarian, CEO of SBE Entertainment Group, which owns and operates the Sahara, commented in a press release on Thursday, “The continued operation of the aging Sahara was no longer economically viable.”

The planned date for closure is May 16th, so if you’ve always wanted to head to the casino, which offers round-the-clock dollar blackjack, now’s your chance. The property sits on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip and serves as a terminus for the city’s monorail.

The Sahara has a rich history. Besides Carson, other performers at the hotel over the years have included Judy Garland, George Carlin, and Bill Cosby. Nazarian and company purchased the Sin City oasis four years ago.

According to the Wall Street Journal, there were no immediate plans to knock down the building after its closure. As to the future of the Las Vegas Strip landmark, Nazarian commented in the same press release, “We see the northern end of the Strip as the future of Las Vegas. With Las Vegas showing early signs of recovery, we are confident that we ultimately will find a creative and comprehensive new solution for this historic property.”

On the other end of the Strip, CityCenter Las Vegas recently opened featuring Aria, the home of the Phil Ivey-named Ivey Room and the host of the new “Poker After Dark” season. CityCenter is flanked by such properties as the MGM Grand, New York New York, and the Monte Carlo.

If you have a room reservation at the Sahara after May 16th, chances are you’ll be staying at an MGM Resorts hotel when you trek to Las Vegas. Likewise, SBE Entertainment Group was working with MGM to reassign 1,000 affected employees to avoid wholesale layoffs.

To that end, Nazarian explained, “SBE is fortunate to have a strategic relationship with MGM Resorts International. As a result, we will work together to try to find jobs for Sahara employees in cases where there are open positions in MGM Resorts’ properties. We will also work with MGM Resorts to accommodate Sahara hotel and group customers with reservations following our closure.”

For our industry, the closing of the Sahara means the loss of a Strip poker room. One poster on TwoPlusTwo lamented, “Their tournament gives free food if you can make it to the second or third break. It was a cheap place to stay in a reasonably safe neighborhood close to the Strip via monorail.”

Another community member recalled his memories of the Sahara poker room: “In 2002, when Vegas poker rooms were being shuttered and new casinos were opening without poker, their room definitely filled a low-limit niche. Not too relevant today, but a lot of old-timers on the forum have probably played there.”

The Nevada Gaming Commission will meet for a final vote on March 24th and, if approved, would create the first partnership between a Nevada licensee and a foreign internet gaming provider.

“It was a historic moment,” said Mitch Garber, CEO of Caesars Interactive Entertainment. “It confirms that internet gaming is a reality. It should allow us to look more and more at a Federally regulated environment in the United States.”

Gibraltar-based 888 would provide Caesars with the equipment, software, and security measures to operate online gaming websites in the United Kingdom. Caesars also has plans to invade other overseas markets, such as France and Italy, where online gaming is regulated.

The partnership wouldn’t have any effect on American consumers at this time, but the move signals that the laws could eventually be changed in the States. On Thursday, an online poker bill was introduced in Nevada.

“It’s a business-to-business agreement that would allow Caesars to offer games in the U.K.,” Board member A.G. Burnett said prior to the vote. “UIGEA is vague at best and was done in haste and its passage forced [888] to abandon the U.S. market to its detriment.”

Garber told gaming regulators the arrangement with 888 was struck after an exhaustive internal investigation of the company by the casino operator’s regulatory and legal compliance department. He said it was more cost-effective for 888 to build the Caesars and World Series of Poker websites than having the casino operator create the software.

The Gaming Control Board did display concerns about 888′s prior involvement in online gambling in the United States. However, Attorney Michael Horowitz, one of several lawyers representing 888, noted that the company made the decision to pull out of the U.S. market before the UIGEA was signed into law. “The words and actions of 888 were clear,” Horowitz said in a statement. “The company has a commitment to doing what is right and doing what is legal despite the damage to revenue generation.”

888 CEO Gigi Levy pressed that fact even further during a testimony from Israel on Wednesday, saying that the company’s records were open to any gaming commission worldwide or government regulatory body. In terms of site security, Levy added, “We operate sophisticated anti-fraud and anti-money laundering systems.”

888 was formed in 1997 in Antigua and relocated to Gibraltar in 2002. Levy said the business has been in good standing with gaming regulators in Gibraltar for eight years, noting that the company’s compliance team had developed software to ensure the identity, location, and age of an online user.

Should online poker regulation ultimately become a reality in the U.S., it is believed that companies like 888 would have the first shot at the U.S. market. Those who continued to offer online gambling to U.S. customers, such as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, could be left out of the initial licensing process.

“To use a baseball analogy, I’d say we’re in about the third inning on working through the issues of internet gambling,” Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli said just before Wednesday’s vote was taken. “It’s an evolving discussion and an evolving set of standards.”

According to the report, the fourth quarter of last year continued a yearlong surge by the company. For the last three months of 2010, 888 showed revenues of $71.3 million, a sizeable 18% increase over the same time period in 2009. The increase in revenues came from several sectors of its business.

For the fourth quarter of 2010, customer demand for 888’s products has driven its profits. In the company’s bingo, casino, and poker offerings, increases in income ranged from 17% to 28% over the previous year. As of December 2010, 888 reported that it held 8.7 million real money registered accounts across its offerings, a 23% increase over the past year.

Gigi Levy, the Chief Executive Officer for 888, was understandably happy with the company’s 2010 performance. “We are very pleased with the results delivered during the last quarter of 2010, especially the record 18% quarterly sequential growth,” Levy stated during the report. “Our marketing activities have driven record numbers of players to our sites and growth was achieved across our business lines.”

Poker seems to be the driving force behind much of 888’s ongoing success. “We are particularly encouraged by our poker business, which showed 28% sequential growth,” Levy reported to shareholders. She believes that this year will continue to show outstanding performance for the company: “2011 has started well and, given that our various business initiatives are progressing as planned, we expect to grow the business further during the year.”

Something else that could help the bottom line is the ongoing negotiation between 888 and the betting conglomerate Ladbrokes. Since 2006, the two companies have been in discussions about a merger, but the talks have been off and on. In its most recent report, 888 stated, “Discussions with Ladbrokes are ongoing. A further announcement will be made as and when appropriate.”

One of the new innovations that could help drive 888’s poker revenues to even greater heights is its new PokerCam. 888’s special PokerCam online tables allow players to actually see their opponents through a webcam. The new innovation brings a semblance of live poker to the online poker world, as players have to utilize some of the same skills they would employ at a live table in an online setting.

The new innovation has been in the works for over a year, according to a statement from Hili Shakked, the Director of Poker Offerings at 888, in February: “Players can look forward to enjoying a completely new and different poker experience by simply downloading the new 888poker software on a computer with a standard webcam. Now, the greater challenge will be how to conceal the big smile when you get pocket aces!”

“We believe that real poker is not just about winning money, but it’s about the thrill, the fun, the excitement, and the social poker experience,” said Maytal Ginzburg, Vice President of Poker at 888. “Online poker has been traditionally focused on the ‘money making’ element. We feel that there is no reason why online poker should not enable players to meet, socialize, and play together.”

Sign up for 888 now.

NEOVIA Financial PLC formally announced on Friday that the Companies Registry of the Isle of Man had approved its name change. Effective immediately, the company formerly known as NEOVIA will now be called Optimal Payments PLC. In addition to the name change, several aspects of the company will be altered.

Optimal Payments will now be traded on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker “OPAY” instead of the old “NEO.” This change took place at the start of trading on Monday morning. In addition, Optimal Payments has opened a new corporate website.

The reason for the name change was explained on the corporate site. “In January 2011, NEOVIA Financial PLC announced the acquisition of Optimal Payments,” the statement begins. “With the acquisition of Optimal Payments, we created a truly international player in card and alternative payments. The combination of our online consumer payment account business, Neteller, our existing NetBANX payment processing business, and the Optimal merchant account and card processing business has brought together an unparalleled comprehensive offering for our customers.”

The company has a long history in the online world, opening up its e-wallet service Neteller in 1999 after operating NetBANX since 1996. The company, under the Neteller name, went public in 2004 and was used as a popular e-wallet option for American online poker players. After legislation in the United States was passed, the company suffered a few hardships.

When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) came to life in 2006, one of the companies targeted was Neteller. Due to the company’s alleged processing of payments to and from online poker rooms, U.S. Department of Justice officials pursued it. This resulted in the arrest of two of its founders, who were Canadian citizens, in 2007 and the company stopped processing payments for American online gamblers. The issues between NEOVIA and the U.S. were resolved in 2009 with the dismissal of a complaint against the company.

In 2008, the company re-christened itself NEOVIA in an attempt to re-brand as more than an online gaming payment processing operation. Under the NEOVIA banner, the company acquired Optimal Payments, which lead to the name change late last week.

Although its name has changed, Optimal Payments still sports the same online options that have been offered throughout its history. In addition to Neteller and NetBANX, Optimal Payments also offers the Net+ card, a debit card that can be preloaded or connected to a person’s bank account. Through these services, Optimal Payments covers 180 nations around the world.

Neteller is still a viable payment option for people who aren’t located in the United States. Many of the top online gaming companies in the industry that still accept American action, including PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and the CEREUS Network, accept Neteller from players outside of the U.S. In addition to these U.S.-facing operations, such sites as PartyPoker, 888, Everest Poker, and Mansion Poker actively use the Neteller deposit option.