Press Release, July 19, 2006
Gambling Portal Webmasters Association Bought By Casino CityCasino City, the world's largest provider of casino and gaming information, today announced its acquisition of the
Gambling Portal Webmasters Association (www.gpwa.net), the largest webmaster forum of its kind on the Internet.
In announcing the move, Casino City CEO
Michael Corfman described the GPWA as an important resource for online gaming portal site owners that will continue to thrive and grow under Casino City's leadership. "I look forward to working together with the GPWA membership, and with my colleagues at Casino City, to create an association that is vibrant and that has the relationships and resources necessary to make a difference," Corfman said. Casino City has been involved with the GPWA for four years, and Corfman himself has been a member for two years.
The GPWA was founded in May 2001 by
Cynthia Carley (videopokerjunkie.com), who wanted to create an organization that would strengthen relationships between affiliate program managers and portal webmasters. In May 2004, Carley sold the GPWA to husband and wife team John and Marlene Derosset, under whose leadership the organization's membership increased by 50 percent (now over 3,300 members) and the sponsor base doubled in size.
Carley, who is still an active GPWA member, gave a ringing endorsement to Corfman's acquisition, stating that his "ethics and values are sound, and his business expertise and acumen far surpass mine. I will be there to help in any way I can."
John Derosset, who along with his wife will also remain active in the GPWA, expressed his confidence that the organization will continue to grow and thrive: "Casino City has the resources and man/woman power to take GPWA to great heights. Under Michael's leadership, GPWA will move forward and become stronger than ever." Marlene Derosset added, "John and I have a lot of faith in Michael and will be there to support him in any way we can."
Casino City has already taken over the hosting and maintenance of the GPWA website, and earlier today rolled out an upgrade to the site with significant enhancements to its usability. New features include intuitive site navigation, more informative section introductions, and a greater focus on the extensive forums available on the site. GPWA's 70+ public and private forums feature nearly 24,000 threads and over 170,000 posts with invaluable news, information, and advice for seasoned, rookie, and aspiring webmasters.
Corfman, who is now the GPWA's Executive Director, plans to concentrate on enhancing the organization's role in increasing transparency in the gaming industry as a whole. "I think of the gaming industry as a public garden," he said. "If we want people to visit so we can be successful, we have to get rid of the weeds. I believe communities like the GPWA can support the good industry players and expose the bad industry players if they have the right infrastructure in place. We will direct our energy, passion, and resources to build tools that will be of the greatest benefit to the GPWA community."
