[P E O P L E
NEWS
]
PARTYPOKER FOUNDERS TO SELL
BWIN.PARTY SHAREHOLDING
Ruth Parasol DeLeon and James Russell DeLeon to divest shares in bwin.party
Two of bwin.party’s major shareholders,
PartyPoker founders Ruth Parasol and
James Russell DeLeon, have agreed to
sell their entire shareholding as part of
the firm’s application for a licence in New
Jersey.
Under New Jersey state laws regarding
online licences, the pair would have been
forced to undergo the stringent suitability
checks carried out by the Division of
Gaming Enforcement as part of bwin.
party’s application.
However, for reasons of privacy, Parasol
and her husband James Russell DeLeon
have agreed with the New Jersey regulator
to transfer their entire bwin.party
shareholdings into separate divestiture
trusts.
The filing with the London Stock
Exchange said their shares will now be
divested over a period of up to 36 months
taking effect on the date that the New
Jersey online gaming market opens.
Emerald Bay Limited, wholly-owned
by Parasol, and Stinson Ridge Limited,
wholly-owned by DeLeon, both hold 7.16%
of bwin.party shares.
Online gaming is planned to go live
in New Jersey on 26 November, and
bwin.party has partnered with casino
group Boyd Gaming to power its Borgatabranded site in the Garden State. The
Borgata property has already received its
licence from the regulator.
The move follows a number of
boardroom changes at bwin.party, with
all PartyGaming execs now having left
the firm.
FORMER HILLS COO JIM MULLEN
BEGINS LADBROKES ROLE
Mullen begins role as managing director of Ladbrokes’ digital arm
Former William Hill Online COO Jim
Mullen has officially started his role as
managing director of Ladbrokes’ digital
business.
Mullen will also sit alongside Ladbrokes
directors Nick Rust and Damian Cope
on the company’s executive committee,
tasked with overseeing its products and
platforms in the coming months.
His other duties will include heading
up a digital board, which will also include
representation from Ladbrokes Israel,
as the UK-based operator looks to revive
its online fortunes following consecutive
quarters of poor performance.
Mullen agreed to join Ladbrokes in
May, with CEO Richard Glynn describing
16
the appointment as a “significant step”
towards the company becoming a major
player in the online gambling sector.
Mullen’s spell at William Hill Online
was during the operator’s joint-venture
with egaming software provider
Playtech, the company Ladbrokes has
subsequently tasked with overhauling
its online business through a long-term
licensing agreement, signed in March
this year.
Ladbrokes was recently forced to
admit that it had underestimated the
disruption caused by the implantation
of the Playtech agreement, with CFO
Ian Bull lamenting the distraction of the
company’s efforts to restructure.
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Gala Interactive CMO
Czajkowski to depart
Long-serving Gala Interactive
chief marketing officer Alex
Czajkowski left the Gibraltarbased company at the end of
October after choosing to return
to the UK. Former Gala Coral
remote managing director Phil
Walker has been appointed
as Czajkowski’s replacement,
taking up the role of Gala
Interactive marketing and
customer operations director.
Probability hires former
William Hill head of mobile
Mobile operator Probability has
hired former William Hill head
of mobile Michael Byrne to
the newly created role of chief
commercial officer. Byrne will
join the firm this month from
Bet and Move, a mobile casino
he launched on the Probability
mobile platform after he left
William Hill in January 2012.
OpenBet sharpens product
focus with senior hire
OpenBet has appointed digital
marketing veteran Joe Eldridge
to the newly-created role of
chief product officer. Eldridge
joins the sportsbook and
gaming platform supplier from
Amazon next month and will
take responsibility for the firm's
core product strategy and
driving product innovation.
Sky Bet hires ex-Facebook
social gaming manager
Egaming operator Sky Betting
and Gaming has hired former
Facebook EMEA manager for
social gaming to the role of
head of social gaming and Sky
development. Bruce Bale joins
the Alderney-licensed operator
after spending two years at the
social network company.
www.egrmagazine.com