Last week, the Swedish gaming supplier Entraction signed an agreement with the online poker site Betsson to supply gaming-related software. The deal will allow Betsson, which has a worldwide presence, to join the Entraction Network and allow its 290,000 customers access to the offerings of one of the top software providers in the industry. The deal is primarily focused on increasing traffic to online poker, but customers will also have access to casinos and sports betting.

Both sides were quite pleased with the deal during the announcement last week. “This strengthens Betsson’s total offer in our important poker markets,” stated Magnus Silfverberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Betsson. “The agreement with Entraction is one of our measures to boost our position as a leading poker operator in Europe.” Peter Åström, the Chief Executive Officer of Entraction, echoed Silfverberg’s positive comments: “We are of course pleased to have signed an agreement with Betsson and are convinced that Betsson’s players will enjoy Entraction’s user friendly and reliable poker network.”

With the birth of online gaming early in the 2000s, Entraction was quick to get into the game. Founded in 2000, the company has, over the past decade, become one of the premier suppliers of full service gaming applications. While offering software dedicated to online poker and casinos, Entraction also provides support, affiliate systems, promotional tools, and payment solutions. In essence, the company is a full service outlet for businesses looking to offer gaming to the online community.

Betsson has been around the online gaming industry almost as long as Entraction. Founded in 2001, the company quickly earned a bookmaking license in the London market and, the next year, opened up its online operations. Soon after opening its online site, Betsson moved rapidly into live bookmaking shops throughout Europe. Recently, Betsson challenged the Swedish government’s state monopoly on gaming when it opened shops in Stockholm in 2008.

With the change, Betsson will continue to operate its poker platform on the Ongame Network and also allow its customers to take part in the Entraction Network‘s offerings. The Ongame Network is the fifth largest online poker network in the industry, according to PokerScout.com, with a seven-day average of 2,650 cash game players among its 26 sites. The Entraction Network is the 11th largest network, with a seven-day average of 1,300 cash game players on its array of 73 sites.

After the announcement of the sale, Entraction’s stock rose markedly. On the day of the announcement, Entraction went from 48 Swedish Krona (approximately $6.34) to 51 Swedish krona. In the week since then, it has remained strong, but come back down to 49.9 Krona at the close of business on Wednesday.

Since the end of 2009, there have been several notable sales and partnerships announced in the online poker industry. In December, Mangas Gaming acquired Everest Poker from GigaMedia and, earlier this year, Party Gaming entered into a partnership with France’s Pari Muteuel Urbain, the government’s monopoly gaming operation. As the online gaming world continues to consolidate to maximize its profits, more partnerships and outright sales should be seen throughout the year.

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