Inside Gaming: Florida's Gaming Boats Sunk; PartyGaming Teams with Danish Danske Spil

January 13 2010, Michael Friedman

With poker at the center of our universe here at PokerNews, it's often easy to overlook everything else going on in the gaming industry. Today we're bringing you the sad demise of the Florida gaming cruises and PartyGaming's new Denmark venture.

Will Poker Cruises Survive in Florida?

According to a recent FloridaToday.com article, once frequented poker cruises are a dying call at Florida ports because of the economy and a 2009 deal that saw a $6.8 billion 20-year compact with Seminole tribes who have casinos in Tampa and Hollywood.

Unfortunately for companies like SunCruz, it looks like their days are numbered because of the shift in policy and the convenience of playing at land-based gaming venues. Florida previously boasted a number of gaming cruises but times are changing, leaving companies like Suncruz, which has two ships stuck in port, seeking Chapter 11 protection.

Unfortunately for these water-based gaming ventures, it looks as though their days are numbered as hoards of tourist seek more convenient options like the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. In addition to watching their former client base stay ashore, cruise companies also face tough times because port owners are forcing them to more distant docks that attract fewer people. It appears as though the once-golden poker cruise concept has finally sunk.

The Party Rolls Into Denmark

According to the Financial Times, PartyGaming has signed a five-year deal with Denmark online poker provider Danske Spil. This is the first government-owned operator deal for the gaming group, which will see them provide online poker and casino platforms for the state-sanctioned company. The mutually beneficial deal combines the sixth-largest gaming operator in the world with Spil, Europe's largest betting and gaming operators whose value was placed at $2.1 billion in 2008.

PartyGaming chief executive Jim Ryan was thrilled with the deal and he believes that the move is a big step forward for the company. “[The agreement] validates our strategy to become a leading provider of B2B services to both corporates and governments around the world,” said Ryan. If PartyGaming continues to amass its online empire, few gaming ventures will be able to compete up with the Party machine.

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