Ultimate Poker to up their UK stakes with massive advertising campaign

The US online gaming provider Ultimate Poker is holding a pitch for an £8 million integrated advertising account as it prepares to make a big splash in the UK when gaming laws are relaxed next year.

The company is using the AAR to help it appoint a creative, direct marketing, media and PR agency. The campaign is set to coincide with a shake-up of the current restrictive gambling laws which is expected to pave the way for an influx of US casino owners and gambling outlets.

Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary, has defended the plans to liberalise Britain's gaming laws, which could see casinos open 24 hours a day and able to run advertising for the first time. Gambling in the UK is currently worth more than £60 billion a year.

The brief for the pitch is to devise a through-the-line brand campaign to raise awareness of the services offered by UltimatePoker.

In the UK, Ultimate Poker (AKA Ultimatebet) will compete against 888 and ParadisePoker, with advertising fronted by the model Caprice, in a rapidly expanding market.

Ultimate Bet already sponsor the "classic" 1,000 & 2,000 Guineas horse races in the UK and leading professional poker player Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott.