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Pacific Poker Players To Get Sports Betting - 11-06-07
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Author: Marc Weinberg
 November 6 - Pacific Poker used to be one of the big players in the online poker market, battling Ultimate Bet and Paradise Poker for that third spot in the pecking order. Then the UIGEA came into play and all those online poker rooms that were part of publicly traded corporations were forced to retreat.
Some like Paradise Poker have faded away alarmingly, while others like Party Poker continue to thrive, mainly because they are touching their existing client base for more than just poker. So the news that 888 Holdings Plc., which operates Pacific Poker, will now offer sports betting to those poker players who want it comes as no surprise.
It makes smart business sense and from a player's perspective it is convenient to be able to wager on all forms of online gambling via as few site wallets as possible.
The deal will see Blue Square, the bookmaking firm, partnering up with their betting service, available in a variety of languages and generally regarded as a very sound product within the sports betting industry. The deal has sparked talks of a big merger, a story that has followed 888 around for the better part of a year.
888's main cash cow is their online casino, which is a behemoth, and an attractive lure to big European sportsbooks looking to consolidate. It is doubtful that Rank, the owners of Blue Square, are in that league, as they're a tier below the big boys like Ladbrokes and William Hill, but stranger mergers have certainly occurred.
We play online poker in troubled times, with plenty of negative press regarding the integrity of the games. The latest talk is that certain online poker sites, privately held naturally, allow bots to play and in some cases infest the low limit cash games. This could all be a paranoid rumor, but it is doubtful. When you see a single account simultaneously playing at over a dozen ring games it is a natural conclusion that you're dealing with unethical play of some manifestation.
Pacific Poker may yet find that it's stock will rise once more as it has always offered a well-regulated card room. If they need to offer blackjack, sports betting, and bingo cards to fish in order to keep those shareholders happy and hire quality security personnel then I am all for that as well.
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> Gus Hansen Wins $1.5M In Two Days On Full Tilt - 11-16-07
> Absolute Disaster For Online Poker - 11-09-07
> Barry Greenstein Goes To Bat For Online Poker - 10-31-07
> Absolute Poker Cheating Scam Update - 10-23-07
> Absolute Poker Ends Their Denial And Seeks Help - 10-17-07
> Absolute Poker Dealt A Cheating Controversy - 10-15-07
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