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British gaming group Bwin.Party is reportedly considering a sale of their Ongame Poker Network. The company currently owns and operates a pair of networks, making Ongame largely expendable. This news was initially broken by Todd Eilers, a gaming analyst for Roth Capital Markets.

Bwin.Party acquired the Ongame Network in a recent merger, and has continued to support its sizable user base. At present, it represents the fifth largest poker network on the European continent, according to PokerScout.com. Their strongest suitor, at this point, appears to be a Las Vegas-based company named Shuffle Master.

For those unfamiliar with this group, Shuffle Master is a provider of electronic gaming content for casinos across the globe. They specialize in utility products (such as card shufflers, chip sorters, and intelligent table modules), proprietary table games, electronic table systems, and traditional electronic gaming machines. Boasting an office on every continent other than Antarctica, they are truly an international force.

For now, little information is available on other possible suitors. With the recent changes to the U.S. Justice Department’s views on the legality of online gaming, Shuffle Master could be in an excellent position to acquire a network which could eventually support American gamers. In the meantime, a strong U.S-based presence in the European market could open a few eyes on Capitol Hill.
“We view the interactive gaming opportunity as the most under-appreciated aspect of Shuffle’s growth story,” Eilers recently wrote. “Both opportunities could begin generating meaningful revenue this summer.”