PartyPoker to launch in next two weeks
bwin.party confirm its revamped poker product will be released in early September as the company looks to ramp up its mobile offering
bwin.party has revealed it will re-launch its new PartyPoker product in the next fortnight as the company also enters latter stages of overhauling its mobile channel.
Speaking following the announcement of disappointing H1 results which saw profits slump by 34%, CEO Norbert Teufelberger said the long-awaited partypoker update is due to be rolled-out in “the next two weeks”.
The product, he said, would be available through all channels and has been designed with the casual player in mind. Players will be rated after 20-100 hands so both novices and professionals are able to compete at a more competitive level.
A TV advertising campaign will take place alongside the re-launch and, with 888 recently reporting a 13% growth in its poker product, Teufelberger stated he was confident there was growth in the market.
In June, PartyPoker was overtaken by 888poker in the PokerScout rankings for the first time with the pair positioned fifth and fourth respectively.
Earlier this week, 888 CEO Brian Mattingley told eGaming Review that he would be monitoring the new partypoker closely but, in deciding to amend the product, bwin.party had embarked on a risky strategy.
Mattingley, who recently oversaw 888’s very own poker upgrade, warned: “By changing our strategy in the position we were in we could do very little damage, but [PartyPoker] could do a lot of damage.”
bwin.party also confirmed it was in the process of improving its mobile offering and expects a new sports release by the end of the year.
With only 9% of revenues derived from mobile, Teulfelberger admitted bwin.party is was well behind competitors in this regard and pointed to a recent ‘quick fix’ in Italy which saw mobile revenues jump to 36%.
The company has set a target of achieving at least 50% of revenues from touch devices by the end of 2015.
“Mobile is a big area for us,” Teulfelberger said. “If we get it right in the next few months we should be able to win back market share.”
The company stated it is on track to return to growth in 2014 assisted by a lower cost base which will see it make 70m of cost savings in 2013 and a further 20-30m next year. The operator also said it was ready for November’s New Jersey launch, following which it would be submitting a license application to Nevada.