Irish Firm Placing Bets on Internet Poker
18 September 2005

With the launch of DV8poker.com, a poker site powered by Excapsa Poker Network, an Irish firm has decided to bet on Internet Poker. AVA Leisure is the company behind the venture, and is a gaming machine manufacturer as well as the operator of a chain of arcade outlets. Online gaming is an extension of AVA Leisure’s existing operations.

AVA Leisure has a partnership with Paradigm New Media, and this ensures that all new online brands such as the interactive bingo site that debuted just this past July, are supported by the best experts in interactive marketing.

Jim Ryan, Excapsa’s CEO, commented that as their business continues to grow in the UK market, it is essential that they enter into tactical partnerships which provide licensees that have presence within the market. That’s why the Excapsa chose AVA Leisure, the UK-based company as a partner, because they are able to lure the AVA Leisure clientele to their poker network as the customers are familiar with AVA Leisures background in the arcade industry. Excapsa is confident that “the tie in to poker will be a natural.”

In the UK, online gambling continues to rapidly grow, and with broadband becoming more and more available, this will only encourage more people to try out internet gambling for themselves. Compared to last year the number of players engaged in internet gambling in the UK has increased by 45%.

Furthermore, with the launch of DV8poker.com, new players can enjoy learning how to play poker for free before they decide to try out their skills to earn real cash. As an extra bonus, DV8poker.com allows their players the opportunity to test their luck against some of the Team UB pros such as Annie Dule, Antonio Esfandiari, David “The Devilfish” Ulliot and Phil Hellmuth.