Bwin.party Snatches Up PokerStars Exec Jeffrey Haas

eGaming Review Magazine is reporting that Bwin.party Head of Online Poker Chris Welch will be leaving next month and that his replacement is Jeffrey Haas, an executive from PokerStars, the world’s largest real money Web poker firm.

Welch has been responsible for bwin.party’s vertical c$200m+ revenues directing poker strategy, marketing, technology and product development globally for 7 of the company’s brands, including PartyPoker, Bwin Poker,WPTpoker, GDPoker.  He also oversaw the major brand and product relaunch of the firm’s flagship Partypoker brand back in January.  Welch has served in his current position for two years.

Bwin.party revenues fell way short of expectations for the second quarter of 2013.  The company cited a new suffocating tax imposed by the German government.  Germany is bwin.party’s largest market.  It also has encountered stiff competition within the bingo sector.

Haas has served as the Director of Strategy & Business Development, New Platforms for The Rational Group - including both PokerStars and FullTiltPoker brands. His roles included the distribution strategy for Stars and Full Tilt's social & mobile poker products.  Haas has been with the Rational Group for over five years.

But Haas is also no stranger to Bwin.party, having previously served as Bwin's Product Manager prior to the company merging with PartyGaming.

- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com