Will FireOne chief take up Segal job?

12.03.2006

Speculation on the successor to Party Gaming chief Richard Segal intensified this week with the news that Fire One executive chairman Mitchell Garber had resigned from the company to "pursue opportunities within the internet gaming sector".

Segal recently announced his intention to depart Party Gaming (Party Poker)in the coming months (see previous reports) rather than move his family to the group headquarters in Gibraltar, and company sources indicated that a replacement would be brought in from outside the group.

FireOne is a payment processing group with Internet expertise.

Garber's resignation came as a surprise following the publication of the group's maiden full-year results since it floated on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) last year, highlighting profits of US$16 million (GBP 9.2 million).

FireOne provides online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks with a system to transfer funds, processing internet gaming transactions through the use of credit and debit cards, electronic debit and through FirePay, a stored-value, electronic wallet.

The company said Garber was leaving to "pursue opportunities within the internet gaming sector".

Benjamin Dalfen, previously chief operating officer at the company, has been appointed as chief executive, while Leon Garfinkle takes up the non-executive chairman role.

Commenting on Garber's departure, Dalfen said: "We are all are disappointed to see Mitch leave, however, we respect his desire to take on new challenges."