Jackpot punter a winner for betting firm

The anonymous player scooped the roll-over prize on PartyCasino after it overhauled jackpot rules earlier in the year to tempt in punters with bigger payouts.

The recycled winnings helped it push up fourth-quarter revenues 32 per cent, while the sports betting business gained from a higher number of draws after a historic low at the start of the Premier League football season.

The PartyPoker owner said all four divisions – poker, casino games, bingo and sports betting – showed growth in the three months to December 31 as revenues jumped by almost a third to 132.2 million dollars (87.2m) over a year earlier.

The firm said underlying earnings for 2009 as a whole would be "slightly ahead" of board expectations.

The fourth quarter is traditionally better for the online gaming sites due to poorer weather but the firm added that casino and sports betting revenues had been "particularly strong".

PartyGaming also benefited from a promotional push and higher player retention through improved VIP and loyalty schemes.

The group's PartyPoker website – which had 438,000 active players during the three months to December – now boasts the biggest pool of players behind PokerStars and Full Tilt.