Caesars and Optimal pen US payments deal
Optimal Payments to provide payment services subject to both companies obtaining Nevada online poker licences.
Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) has agreed a deal with Optimal Payments for its future US real-money online poker offering.
The service provider will offer the casino group’s online arm payment processing services in the US, including fraud management and other related services. The deal is subject to both CIE and Optimal receiving respective online poker operator and service provider licences from the Nevada Gaming Commission, although no date has yet been set for the hearings.
Joel Leonoff, president and chief executive of Optimal Payments, said: “This is a ground breaking deal for Optimal Payments and demonstrates our ability to provide real value to globally renowned, land-based gaming operators and their leading brands, as the first step in our strategy to capitalise on the regulated US market.”
CIE owns the World Series of Poker brand through which it offers real-money online poker in the UK, France and Italy. Its real-money poker deals with Dragonfish and Barrière were extended earlier this year and cover the United Kingdom and French markets respectively, while Caesars also has an Italian-facing deal in place with Microgame. Last year it also acquired Playtika, a social games developer of titles including Slotomania and Caesars Casino, for an estimated 130m.
In September, CIE teamed up with Electronic Arts’ mobile arm EA Mobile to launch a World Series of Poker freeplay poker app.
Optimal Payments became an official partner of the Lotus Formula 1 team earlier this year and won the award for Innovation in Payment Solutions at eGR’s B2B awards in May.