WMS forms new egaming division
Chicago-based Williams Interactive will be headed up by WMS president Orrin J. Edidin.
WMS has announced the formation of Williams Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary that will focus on expanding and developing its egaming services.
The new entity will be headed up by Orrin J. Edidin, president of WMS Industries, who has been promoted to the position of president and chief executive officer of Williams Interactive.
Williams Interactive will concentrate on its online wagering, social, casual and mobile gaming offerings in order to “capitalise on the emerging industry’s significant potential growth opportunities by supporting casinos’ participation in these new distribution channels”, WMS said in a statement.
Brian R. Gamache, chairman and CEO of WMS Industries, added: “Establishing Williams Interactive is an important step forward in concentrating our efforts and increasing our collective ability to leverage our operational and development initiatives to propel growth and returns to the next level.”
In the last few years WMS has built a suite of egaming services aimed at supporting the online efforts of its land-based customers. Its operations include B2C online casino JackpotParty.com and a B2B online casino site in Belgium in collaboration with Groupe Partouche.
More recently WMS strengthened its egaming credentials by acquiring online gaming content developer Jadestone Group and Phantom EFX, a leader in social and mobile game development with a suite of more than 35 casino and slot products developed for desktop, Facebook, and mobile.
Earlier this month the company also announced a strategic alliance with Dragonfish, the B2B arm of 888 Holdings, to pursue both social and real-money online poker in the US, when legally permitted.
WMS is one of more than 30 companies to have applied for an interactive poker licence in the state of Nevada, although its application has yet to be given a place on the state’s Gaming Control Board agenda.
Newly appointed Williams Interactive president and CEO Orrin J. Edidin added: “Creating a single organisation to unify the company’s efforts in online wagering and interactive gaming distribution channels, while drawing upon our extensive existing library of great gaming content, will better enable WMS to participate in the many high-margin opportunities this content convergence offers.