The Party’s Over as O’Malia Leaves Party Gaming

Party Gaming have posted a News Statement on their website, the press release announces that the online gaming group MD John O’Malia has resigned and will be leaving Party Gaming at the end of February 2009. The Party Gaming Group which includes Party Poker, Party Casino, Party Bets, Party Bingo, Party Gammon and Party Markets has announced that Jim Ryan, the Group Chief Executive will assume all of O’Malia’s duties.

The official reason for John OMalia’s shock resignation from the online gaming group after only eight months in the job is that he is pursuing other business interests. However it is widely felt that John O’Malia was more than a little disgruntled when Jim Ryan secured the top job last year in preference to him. John O’Malia previously the Chief Executive of GameBookers, has been at Party Gaming online gaming since the company bought betting operator GameBookers in 2006.

John O’Malia has done much in the way of adding value to the online gaming group and is accredited with the creation of the online casino and for further developments in other areas of the online gaming operation. Another revenue stream was felt necessary in the wake of the disastrous US gaming Laws which saw Party Gaming having to close down their most popular side to the operation, which reputedly accounted for 80% of Party Gaming customers. Mr O’Malia was a key part of this process and Jim Ryan said in the press release “Over the past two and a half years, John has made a significant contribution to the transformation and leadership of the Group. In particular, his vision and dedication were fundamental to the successful launch of the next generation of our signature PartyPoker.com product in September 2008.   John is a natural leader and is keen to fulfil his potential in a more senior management role that will play to his considerable industry and management experience. Whilst saddened by his decision to leave the Group, we wish him every success for the future.”

John O’Malia’s statement on his resignation give nothing away about where his new business interests might lie.

"My time at PartyGaming has been extraordinary. We have made enormous strides in repositioning the Group’s gaming portfolio, something that I was determined to achieve before moving on. I am enormously proud of the progress we have made and the fact that many of the Group’s games are now once again recognised as being best in class. Whilst I shall certainly miss the excitement of working for the world’s leading listed online gaming company, I am looking forward to taking on fresh business challenges."