US gaming machine company WMS Industries has entered into an agreement with France-based Groupe Partouche to provide the casino operator with a WMS-hosted online casino site for Belgium.

The joint operations agreement with Groupe Partouche represents the first B2B deployment of WMS' robust online gaming solution, including the i-gaming technology and platform that power the JackpotParty site, which made its full-scale debut in the UK in January 2011.

Players visiting the new Groupe Partouche online site, branded under the Casino Knokke name, will have access to a range of WMS' premium licensed and proprietary slot games, as well as a number of card and table games, including baccarat, roulette, blackjack and video poker. The site will feature unique WMS online gaming experiences including licensed game themes such as The Wizard of oz and I Love Lucy, and classic WMS games such as Super Jackpot Party, Goldfish, Life of Luxury Progressive, Reel 'em In and Zeus themed slot machines. In addition, players will be able to enter the Jackpot Party Progressive - the first accumulating online jackpot in the world that can be awarded on any game, with any wager, at any time, completely at random.

Group Partouche presently operates four Belgian casinos and holds licences from the government to conduct online gaming in Belgium. The WMS-hosted online casino will operate under one of nine online casino licenses awarded by the Belgium Gaming Commission and is expected to go live in summer 2012.

Orrin J. Edidin, president of WMS, commented: "Groupe Partouche is an ideal launch partner for our comprehensive i-gaming B2B solutions. We look forward to working collaboratively to create cross-marketing opportunities that will complement its land-based casino operations by providing players with the convenience of playing at home, in addition to playing at the casino. This joint operation marks a significant milestone in the execution of our online gaming strategy and expansion plans. It establishes our comprehensive suite of B2B online gaming capabilities and managed services offering as value-creating online solutions for land-based casino operators seeking to move forward with online gaming for their patrons."

Fabrice Paire, chairman of Groupe Partouche, added: "This collaboration with WMS is the obvious next step in our business development.

"The focus of the Partouche Group is to offer the very best of online games and gaming experiences for our customers' entertainment; and to position the Partouche brand as the premier benchmark in online gaming in Belgium, as well as in our land-based Belgian and French markets."

Edidin added: "Global markets are rapidly moving toward content convergence and multi-channel distribution as consumers demand engaging content across multiple platforms and ready access to their favorite entertainment.