Partypoker Up for Sale: Poker Room's Future Uncertain

Entain, a major gambling holding, has put its poker room, Partypoker, up for sale. This news was first reported by Steve Ruddock, a long-time poker and gambling industry journalist. According to Ruddock, Entain is considering selling several other assets, including the UK bookmaker Coral, the Georgian bookmaker Crystalbet, and the Croatian casino SuperSport.

The two most likely buyers for Partypoker are MGM Resorts International and Draftkings. MGM already operates a poker room on the Partypoker software, BetMGM Poker, which is legally operating in the USA. Draftkings, one of the largest casino operators in the USA, attempted to acquire the entire Entain holding in the fall of 2021, offering $22.5 billion. MGM also made an attempt earlier that year, but with a lower offer of $11.1 billion.

Partypoker, once a leader in the poker industry in the 2000s, has seen a significant decline in players over the past 15 years. The room's traffic has halved since its exit from the US market and has continued to decline due to increased competition, particularly from PokerStars. Additionally, Partypoker's withdrawal from Russia in February 2022 and subsequent bans in other countries have further reduced its player base.