Looking to expand its brand further into the global marketplace, Caesars Interactive Entertainment (formerly Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment) has entered into a joint venture with one of Italy’s top online poker companies, Microgame.it.
In an announcement last Friday, Caesars Interactive and Microgame.it revealed a long-term agreement to co-brand Microgame’s online poker outlet, PeoplesNetwork.it, with the World Series of Poker (WSOP) name and logos. Through the agreement, Caesars Interactive and Microgame will offer both online and live events to the Italian market prominently featuring the WSOP logo. Additionally, Microgame will become the official satellite outlet for Italian players for the WSOP and also act as the exclusive pre-registration booking office for Italian players in the Main Event.
“We are honored to have been selected as the exclusive Italian partner for the WSOP,” Microgame Chief Executive Officer Fabrizio D’Aloia stated during the announcement. “The People’s Poker Network, powered by Microgame, confirms its position of leadership in the Italian poker market and we are truly excited to offer our customers something unique. The WSOP has over 40 years of history and heritage and an alliance with Microgame marks an exciting new chapter for both of us.”
Mitch Garber, the former head of Party Gaming who took over Caesars Interactive Entertainment in 2009, agreed with D’Aloia and looked at worldwide development of the WSOP name as a key reason for the partnership. “This agreement is a logical step in our European and global expansion strategy to partner with leading local companies as we look to expand the WSOP brand,” Garber said. “Microgame is a clear leader in Italy and we look forward to working hard together to grow the poker market.”
The partnership between the two companies should be a positive for both sides. In the Italian market, which opened its doors in 2009 to companies that provide gaming only to Italian citizens, Microgame has made tremendous inroads. According to PokerScout.com, the Microgame-backed PeoplesNetwork.it is second behind only the PokerStars Italian offering in the country. As a further indication of the power of the Italian market, PeoplesNetwork.it is the seventh largest online poker outlet in the industry in terms of cash game traffic, ahead of such longtime poker operations as the CEREUS Network, the Microgaming Network, the Entraction Network, and 888.
For Caesars Interactive Entertainment, the joint venture pushes the WSOP name further into the consciousness of poker players worldwide. The ability to operate in the Italian market, which has been quite lucrative for many companies in the online gaming industry, is important for any company due to the sheer number of players that are available. Information from Microgame states that the company generated a gross gaming turnover of more than €1 billion in 2009.
