GVC names Sexton as new PartyPoker chairman

GVC Holdings has appointed Mike Sexton as the new chairman of PartyPoker.

Sexton was one of the founders of PartyPoker in 2001 and has spent the last 15 years as an ambassador for the brand, combining this role with his position at the World Poker Tour (WPT).

As chairman, Sexton will head up efforts to invest in software development and marketing, improve customer services and fight against the use of third-party software that gives players an unfair advantage

Sexton will also focus on rewarding player loyalty and looking after the smaller bankroll players, as well as developing the PartyPoker Live initiative and working with various company partners.

“This is an emotional time for me, because I have decided to leave the World Poker Tour to focus on this new role,” Sexton said, according to a statement picked up by CasinoCityTimes.com.

“I was at PartyPoker from the start, before there was even a name or a single virtual card was dealt.

“I experienced the crazy times of the poker boom when we became the number one site in the world, I remember people sleeping on the office floor when we were all working 24/7 get the software launched, and I remember the first PartyPoker Million on a cruise ship which overlaid $500,000 (€445,300).

“It was devastating for me to see the decline of PartyPoker when we were forced to pull out of the US and then watch from the sidelines as our competitors remained and benefited from our customer base.

“I am really looking forward to working with people that love the game like I do; we are not aiming for second place, we are all in.

A World Series of Poker bracelet winner and former WPT champion, Sexton was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009.

Tom Waters, managing director of PartyPoker, added: “I am absolutely delighted that Mike has decided to come on board as our chairman; we are all dedicated to make PartyPoker the site for the players and having his support to make this happen gets us one step closer.”

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