Online poker giant PartyGaming has announced it has signed a record number of new poker players in the fourth quarter of last year.

PartyGaming, which owns and operates the PartyPoker website – the world's biggest online poker room – claims its sales rose 65 per cent to $320 million (£180 million) in the fourth quarter of 2005, meaning analysts have once again had to upgrade their forecasts for this year.

Analyst Charles Wilson at Bridgewell told the Scotsman he was likely to upgrade his forecasts after casino sales beat year-ago figures by an astonishing 600 per cent.

One of the main reasons for PartyGaming's continued surge is its diversification in online betting games.

Blackjack has recently emerged as the most popular online betting format second only to poker, and PartyGaming has been quick to cross-sell blackjack to its PartyPoker gamers.

"The success of blackjack has transformed our casino business," said chief executive Richard Segal. "Through effective cross-selling to our large customer base we are well on the way to creating the world's largest online casino."