Gibraltar-based online gaming operator 888 Holdings has announced the creation of a separate division for its business-to-business activities in order to address the concerns of clients that did not want a rival brand on their sites.
Gigi Levy, Chief Executive Officer for 888, revealed that its new division would be called Dragonfish and be run by Gabi Campos.
888 publicised the move after announcing a white-label licensing agreement with Great Britain’s largest horseracing newspaper, the Racing Post, which will see it provide its market-leading gaming and back-end software along with customer support and payment processing services.
According to a piece from the Financial Times newspaper, 888 has focussed more of its resources towards business-to-business opportunities since the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the US in October of 2006. It acquired 14 new business-to-business customers last year and this latest agreement with the Racing Post brings 2009’s total to four.
‘We looked at combinations of ‘play’ and ‘tech’ and other things but they were either boring or taken, so we came up with ‘Dragonfish’,’ said Levy.
‘It’s an ugly fish but in places like China it’s considered lucky.’
Levy revealed that 888 had 50 potential business-to-business partners in the pipeline. However, he stated that income for the first three months of 2009 would lag behind the longer fourth quarter even though trading for the first quarter had been stronger than in December with daily average revenues up by more than five percent.
‘This generates extra revenue,’ said Levy.
‘If we were only business-to-consumer, I would be concerned. People are spending less.’
888’s business-to-business activities include the provision of software, customer support and payment systems for companies wanting to offer poker and casino games. It takes a commission on wagers placed and earned around $35 million last year from 19 operations such as online bingo site FoxyBingo.com.
Abstract from www.igamingbusiness.com
