After some pretty dismissive comments on the prospect of litigation
by Empire Online from Party Gaming spokesmen last week, Empire Online
came back strongly Tuesday with an emphatic announcement that it is
launching litigation against Party Gaming with a claim of "several
hundred million dollars" that will probably be decided
in the law courts of Gibraltar.
Empire spokesmen said that the company has been assured by a top British
Queens Counsel in London that it has a strong case.
However, the fight is likely to be prolonged; a Partygaming spokesman
responded by saying that the legal action by Empire could be considered
as the first "pantomime" of the (festive) season.
The spokesman concluded that Partygaming remained "highly
confident" of any legal outcome.
The legal action follows Partygaming's move to separate or "ringfence"
its online poker system from that of its "skins".
After the Partygaming decision on skins, online players using Empire
Poker were left on the smaller poker site with fewer players. Many
industry observers and analysts interpreted PartyGaming's move as
an attempt to pressure the skins, which were both allies and competitors,
and investors feared that Empire would lose its players to the larger
PartyPoker site
Empire has lost more than half its market value since it floated in
June. "The company seeks substantial damages and injunctive relief
from Partygaming," Empire said Tuesday, also revealing that it
was holding "confidential arbitration proceedings"
with an unnamed Partygaming subsidiary.
Earlier this year, a GBP 790 million bid by the British gambling group,
Sportingbet for Empire fell through. Two takeover attempts by Partygaming
for Empire were also abandoned recently.
Empire Online has now initiated legal proceedings in the Gibraltar
High Court.