Preliminary reports announced on Friday indicate that online gambling giant, Party Gaming, may perform better than what was previously expected. The group will only release its official financial report in February but optimism and speculations dictate that the company will do as well – or better – than expected.

Friday’s report spelled out Party Gaming’s future plans, especially its expansion into the growing markets in Italy and France. The group also commented on the success of its poker arm, thanks to the acquisition of the World Poker Tour and the launch of Party Poker in Italy.

“Returning poker to growth has been a key focus for us,” said Jim Ryan, CEO of Party Gaming. “We are pleased to see that the initiatives introduced throughout the year are now feeding through into both operational and financial performance with increased player numbers and average net daily revenues versus the previous quarter, despite continued competition from illegal US-facing sites and the difficult macroeconomic climate.”