In a statement released to the London Stock Exchange, PartyGaming, which is traded under the symbol “PRTY,” announced that Jon Salmon will become the company’s next Chief Marketing Officer. Salmon comes to PartyGaming from Ads Dot Com, where he served as the company’s Managing Director and founder.
Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of PartyGaming, commented in a news release distributed by the company, “Jon’s creative flair, entrepreneurialism and experience gleaned from marketing big brand names will be a great addition to PartyGaming as we forge ahead with our revised strategy to make us the most valued online gaming company. We very much look forward to Jon applying his talent and skills to marketing and promoting all of our Party brands across our broad and expanding suite of products and games.”
Ads Dot Com largely worked with internet gambling sites. Prior to that, Salmon was involved with other companies, including Ladbrokes, Weight Watchers, and Allied Bakeries. He stated, “PartyGaming is a company with strategic vision and strong management, and I’m delighted to be joining as it pushes ahead with clearly defined initiatives to grow both the business and provide the best entertainment and fun for customers in the industry.”
PartyGaming’s stock has traded consistently between ₤200 and ₤210 over the last five business days. The site is awaiting a decision by European Commission investigators as to whether actions against the United States will be pursued by the World Trade Organization. Many publicly traded European internet gambling companies like PartyGaming still face potential prosecution from U.S. authorities for accepting internet gambling wagers from Americans. The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA for short) has lodged a complaint on behalf of its membership, which includes PartyGaming, 888, Betfair, and William Hill.
Meanwhile, U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX) authored HR 6663, which in part specifically grants a reprieve to companies like PartyGaming for any transgressions done by accepting U.S. customers prior to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act’s (UIGEA) passage in October of 2006. The company vacated the U.S. market shortly thereafter. In an article published in August, Reuters News stated that PartyGaming “initiated discussions with the Department of Justice in June last year in the hope of securing a deal to end the threat of prosecution for taking U.S. internet wagers in the past.”
Party Poker, which is the online poker room owned and operated by PartyGaming, just underwent a major makeover. The look of the lobby and table, which many players learned the game of poker on, has been drastically changed. However, the new software affords players the opportunity to jump in a game easily by use of a “Quick Seat” feature as well as the ability to use avatars. The new software debuted this week. Last weekend, the site held a $50,000 freeroll to celebrate the launch. It also plans to hold a $10,000 freeroll for media members on October 18th.
PartyPoker’s marquee tournament is the $300,000 Guaranteed, which occurs every Sunday. The buy-in is $215 and the guaranteed prize pool is larger than the weekly high-stakes events found on rival online poker sites Absolute Poker, Bodog, and Ultimate Bet.
