Through the agreement, the new gaming offering will benefit from the exclusive use of Endemol brands in the Italian market, including the likes of Big Brother and Deal Or No Deal.
The joint venture will operate under 888's licence in Italy and will launch once the Italian gaming authority provides final regulations for the provision of casino games, expected during the second half of 2010.
“Now that online gaming has become an established and hugely popular form of entertainment, strategic partnerships with media companies are critical for growth, especially in newly regulated markets such as Italy,” said Gigi Levy, CEO of 888.
“The combination of our gaming expertise and Endemol's brands, production capabilities and media assets will create a compelling new gaming offering for Italian consumers. The potential of the Italian market is enormous and this partnership strongly positions us to capitalise on this.”
The agreement combines 888's fully localised gaming offering with Endemol's brand strength and media reach in the country.
“Endemol has always prided itself at being at the forefront of market evolution,” said Paolo Bassetti, President and CEO of Endemol Italy. “The Italian market represents a huge opportunity for online gaming and Endemol's brands are ideally suited for this platform. This is an area we have been interested in for some time and as a world leader in online gaming, 888 is the perfect partner.”