Empire Online confirmed today that it has launched legal proceedings against fellow online gaming outfit PartyGaming PLC, following the two firms’ abortive autumn mating dance.

Empire Online said it is seeking “substantial damages and injunctive relief from PartyGaming”. A the same time, it said, Empire Online and PartyGaming subsidiary WPC Productions are engaging in confidential arbitration proceedings.

Talks between the two emerged early in November, when Empire Online revealed it had received an offer from PartyGaming. On November 21, EmpireOnline said that it had terminated talks, after a protracted due diligence process and continued delays in the timetable resulted in PartyGaming making a “a revised proposal that is significantly different both in terms of the price and structure and at a level that cannot be recommended.”

Also on November 21, PartyGaming cofirmed it had made an offer for Empire Online at 60 pence per share.

A spokesman for PartyGaming said of today's suit, "We're confident we'll have a successful outcome."®

Related stories

PartyGaming buys two (29 December 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/29/partygaming_buys_two/
PartyGaming buys Gamebookers (3 August 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/03/partygaming_buys_bamebookers/
PartyGaming founders quit board (24 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/24/partygaming_founders_quit/
Softbank gambles on Betfair (28 February 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/28/softbank_invests_betfair/
UK gambling firms say no to Italian ban (20 February 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/20/remote_gambling_ban_challenge/
UK gov calls for online gambling summit (16 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/16/uk_gov_online_gambling/
'Robot agents' to help settle disputes (6 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/06/electric_robot/
PartyGaming bets on bumper year (8 December 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/08/partygaming_trading_update/
Online poker firms at daggers drawn (21 November 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/21/empireonline_partygaming/
PartyGaming weighs odds on Empire takeover (3 November 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/03/party_gaming_empire/