Bwin says still in talks about acquisitions

"As previously stated several times, bwin is currently holding talks with several potential partners in the online gaming sector on possible co-operations and/or acquisitions," the group said in a statement. It also confirmed that it is in talks with possible partners to enter the United States market.

Bwin and PartyGaming, the two biggest European online gambling companies, have been in tentative merger talks for months, sources familiar with the talks have said, but a deal has so far proven elusive. Analysts say that a deal between them could be a trigger for broader consolidation of the fragmented industry.

Austrian magazine Trend had said on Sunday that the talks had broken down, quoting bwin's chairman and shareholder Hannes Androsch as saying, "In the end, talks with the (other party) have not led to the desired outcome.

Bwin, which like PartyGaming has never confirmed or denied the talks with Partygaming said in its statement on Monday that Androsch had been misquoted by Trend. "Hannes Androsch would like to clarify his statement as follows: 'It is true, that up until now talks have not led to any specific outcome,'" the statement said.