Harrah's Interactive Entertainment, Dragonfish sign B2B deal

888 HAS signed a business-to-business deal with Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment, the new online gambling arm of US casino giant Harrah’s.

888’s B2B arm Dragonfish will deliver its poker and casino software, e-payments and customer support services to grow the online presence of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and Caesars casino brands owned by Harrah’s. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

As reported on EGRmagazine.com, Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment (HIE) was formed in May this year to exploit online gambling opportunities outside the US, where online gambling is illegal under America’s UIGEA egaming ban, and to promote the WSOP in Europe.

It is headed by the former chief executive of PartyGaming, Mitch Garber, eGaming Review‘s August CEO Interview, and is included in this year’s eGaming Review Power 50 ranking of online gambling’s 50 most influential operators.

888 chief executive Gigi Levy (pictured) said: “We have the structure in place to realise our B2B division’s full potential over the next 18 months and beyond, and today’s announcement of our partnership with an industry giant is further vindication of this strategy.”

Harrah’s, which operates more than 50 land-based casinos in the US, was acquired by private-equity houses Apollo Management and TPG Capital for US$30.7bn in January 2008.