Pennsylvania is on deck for legal online gambling, and the state is certainly hoping it can follow New Jersey’s lead in at least one respect.
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Interstate liquidity sharing between Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware is slated to begin on May 1, and WSOP.com is not sitting idly by waiting for the day to arrive.
WSOP.com is gearing up for the big day by moving multiple pieces into position, targeting existing and potential players with new promotions, more offerings, and increased rewards in conjunction with its larger player pool.
In a press release issued this week, WSOP.com announced a number of significant changes it plans to roll out when liquidity sharing goes live.
“We can’t wait for our existing players and hopefully a host of first-time players to experience the new WSOP.com,” said WSOP.com Head of Online Poker Bill Rini. “With the advent of tri-state shared liquidity, we have completely revamped our tournament schedules, our cash games offerings, our loyalty program and our promotional calendar to deliver the best online poker experience in this new world order.”
Before diving into the new offerings and benefits that await players on the new WSOP.com, here’s what existing players should do in order to make sure their transition is a smooth one.
According to WSOP.com:
“The change will require existing and new players in Delaware and Nevada to register for a new account and download the new poker software. Existing players in New Jersey will be ready to play when shared liquidity goes live without the need to create a new account or pre-register, while new players must create an account.”
Nevada and Delaware players that want to lock up a favorite screen-name can start pre-registering for a new account on April 24.
Upon pre-registering/registering, customers will find their bankroll balance, tournament tickets, and loyalty points transferred to their new account.
Further, all Nevada players who successfully pre-register are entered into a drawing for a $10,000 WSOP Main Event seat.
It also appears WSOP.com is proactively changing screen-names for Nevada players that have accounts registered in both states in an effort to maintain the person’s preferred screen name.
That would be correct. If you had no play in NJ and had played in NV, we weighted towards NV. If there was play in both states, we tried to determine your “primary” state and allow you to keep username in that state.
— Bill Rini (@billrini) April 24, 2018
In conjunction with the liquidity sharing agreement, WSOP.com is also overhauling its online rewards, and increasing the maximum rakeback players can earn.
“The new and enhanced loyalty club will be called “Poker Rewards” and will allow players to achieve an industry best — up to a 32% rake back based on their participation,” the press release states. “As a result of these changes, Total Rewards levels will be removed from Poker Rewards as to not confuse with offline Diamond and above levels.”
The new rewards tiers WOP.com will put in place are:
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As I speculated back in December, interstate online poker is going to be a boon for tournament players.
WSOP.com has announced $15 million worth of guaranteed tournaments this summer (from May to September).
The site will accomplish this by increasing the guarantees of existing tournaments and running daily freerolls:
The increased liquidity will also lead to the launch of 888’s Blast Poker, the company’s version of lottery-style Sit & Go tournaments where players can compete for a prize-pool of up to 10,000 times their original buy-in.
The onset of shared liquidity between New Jersey and Nevada will also open up four World Series of Poker online bracelet events to players in New Jersey.
“For the first time ever, New Jersey poker players will be able to enter the official online WSOP gold bracelet events, alongside those participants in Nevada,” the press release says.
Beginning on May 1, WSOP.com will offer WSOP online bracelet event freerolls and satellites.
As the only operator in Nevada and Delaware, 888/WSOP.com is uniquely positioned to benefit from the interstate online poker agreement.
Considering the tie-ins announced in the press release, WSOP.com isn’t content with simply adding its two existing player pools together. It wants to draw in new players and poach players from its New Jersey competitors: partypoker/Borgata and PokerStars.
With its larger tournaments, increased game selection, and improved loyalty program, it’s going to be hard for PokerStars and partypoker customers to stay away.
That said, reactivating lapsed online poker players and engaging with new customers will prove to be a bit more difficult. The new market will certainly be larger and more appealing, but it’s still a far cry from the pre-Black Friday days of US online poker.
The post WSOP.com Announces New Loyalty Program And Promotions For Interstate Online Poker appeared first on .
The Chinese government is reportedly shutting the door to poker’s final frontier.
According to Macau-based publication Inside Asian Gaming, China will launch a sweeping crackdown on online poker applications and stop recognizing the game as a competitive sport beginning June 1.
Beijing and the Chinese government have yet to announce the ban. However, all poker apps will be shut down and removed from app stores, according to Inside Asian Gaming. Plus, promoting poker and social poker apps on social media channels, like the popular WeChat and Weibo, will also be banned.
Poker in China exists almost exclusively on these social poker apps. As a result, the ban will have a major impact on the industry. Particularly, in a country of 1.4 billion people long believed to offer the greatest opportunity for future growth.
Real-money online and live poker is basically illegal in China, outside of special administrative regions like Macau that allow gambling.
However, live tournament poker has seen rapid growth in the country since Chinese authorities raided and shut down the PokerStars APPT Nanjing Millions event, co-hosted by PokerStars and Beijing’s Star Poker Club in April 2015.
Social poker app satellites have fueled much of the growth on the live tournament scene.
Social poker apps run by companies like Boyaa, Tencent, Alisports (Alibaba), and Ourgame, owners of the World Poker Tour, are used to qualify players for live events in China.
According to Inside Asian Gaming, Boyaa stock dropped 12 percent immediately following news of the ban. Boyaa had just filed its 2017 Annual Report. It claimed its third Boyaa Poker Tour event at the end of 2017 was a success. Results included increased brand awareness and player loyalty.
The report also indicated Boyaa’s revenue is on the rise, mostly through poker.
Additionally, Ourgame, which bought the WPT for $35 million in 2015, immediately announced it will adjust its poker-related activities in Mainland China to respect the ban.
A statement on the company’s website says Ourgame will “continue to introduce and hold more top-level intellectual sports events and promote the global spread of chess and card culture,” in China, with no mention of poker at all.
Plus, Tencent removed its World Series of Poker app from app stores. Tencent just signed a multi-year agreement with Caesars Interactive Entertainment and the WSOP to spread the brand throughout Asia in July 2017. The deal involved poker staff training, WSOP merchandise rights, and media content distribution and production rights. Plus, the Tencent Poker free-to-play social poker app added a WSOP branded game.
Chinese players have also been partly responsible for the growth of poker across Asia. In fact, fields are quite often 50 percent Chinese players in major tournaments across the region.
Events outside of China draw Chinese players almost exclusively through social media promotion. Therefore, the social media promotion ban could have a disastrous effect on tournament field sizes across Asia.
Hong Kong Poker Players Association managing director Stephen Lai told the South China Morning Post newspaper the news is a huge blow to Chinese poker and poker all over Asia:
“We have been very happy that China have been allowing social gaming, not for money, so that people from China have a chance to practice and travel around Asia and beyond to play poker, where it is legal to do so. Now, with the alleged policy change, there will be no play money poker in China, and you can’t talk about poker on social media. Chinese players won’t have a chance to practice, and they won’t get to know about legal poker events around Asia. Poker has gone back to square one in China.”
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After the company’s “biggest misclick,” over 40,000 players played the Take 2, covering the $10 million guarantee with ease.
PokerStars’ $10 million guaranteed Sunday Million made a return on April 22 and attracted 56,310 total entries, amassing a prize pool of more than $11 million. It made for the biggest turnout to an anniversary Sunday Million since December 2011.
The Take 2 event followed a $10m guaranteed Sunday Million held in February which saw a massive overlay of $1.2 million—the biggest overlay in online poker history, according to the operator.
The Canadian company that owns the world’s largest online poker site is about to become the world’s largest publicly listed online gaming company. The Stars Group Inc., which owns PokerStars and is listed on the Nasdaq and the Toronto Stock Exchange, announced on Saturday it will acquire Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG) from CVC Capital Partners and Sky plc in a cash and stock deal worth $4.7 billion.
Additionally, according to a Stars Group press release, the purchase of the UK-based sports betting and online gaming company will result in The Stars Group becoming the world’s largest publicly traded online gaming company.
In fact, The Stars Group Chief Executive Officer Rafi Ashkenazi said the acquisition represents an historic moment for the company:
“The acquisition of Sky Betting & Gaming is a landmark moment in The Stars Group’s history. SBG operates one of the world’s fastest growing sportsbooks and is one of the United Kingdom’s leading gaming providers. SBG’s premier sports betting product is the ideal complement to our industry-leading poker platform. The ability to offer two low-cost acquisition channels of this magnitude provides The Stars Group with great growth potential and will significantly increase our ability to create winning moments for our customers.”
Additionally, Ashkenazi went on to say The Stars Group global brand portfolio will be significantly enhanced through this acquisition, positioning the company to realize its vision of becoming the world’s favorite iGaming destination.
SBG currently operates five core online gaming brands, including:
The brands have become some of online gaming’s best-known, thanks to a partnership with Sky, Europe’s top sports broadcaster and media company.
In fact, SBG currently hosts the largest active online gaming player base in the world.
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SBG CEO Richard Flint said the acquisition will help the company go global:
“We are delighted to join forces with The Stars Group. We have had a fantastic last few years and would like to thank CVC and Sky for supporting us in becoming a leading online operator in the UK. This transaction allows us to offer our best-in-class products to a truly global audience. We’re excited about our future together.”
Private equity and investment advisory firm CVC Capital Partners bought an 80 percent stake in SBG for £600 million back in 2015.
Now, CVC Partner Pev Hooper says this deal represents an opportunity for international growth for SBG:
“Richard and his team have done a fantastic job building Sky Betting & Gaming into one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing operators. We have thoroughly enjoyed working closely with the team and our partners at Sky. This combination with The Stars Group opens a new and exciting chapter for SBG to accelerate its international growth, and we look forward to continuing the journey as a shareholder in the combined group.”
The Stars Group operates online gaming brands including:
Additionally, in the US, PokerStars owns and operates a New Jersey online poker and casino site under the Resorts Atlantic City internet gambling license.
Moreover, it owns and operates several popular live poker tournament series around the world, including:
In fact, The Stars Group brands collectively form the largest poker business in the world.
Additionally, according to The Stars Group, operational and financial benefits of the SBG acquisition for the company are expected to include:
Some $3.6 billion of the $4.7 billion total purchase price will be payable in cash. However, the remainder is payable in approximately 37.9 million newly-issued common shares.
In fact, that means SBG will be taking on an estimated 20 percent ownership interest in The Stars Group.
The Stars Group’s Board of Directors has already unanimously approved the transaction. However, the deal is not likely to close until the third quarter of 2018.
The post The Stars Group To Become World’s Largest Public Online Gaming Company appeared first on .
A positive outcome for sports could allow poker to ride its coattails.
The long-awaited ruling by US Supreme Court on the New Jersey sports betting case could come as soon as Tuesday, and a favorable ruling for the Garden State could open the proverbial flood gates on sports betting, and potentially online gambling, in America.
Many political pundits expect the Supreme Court to invalidate the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) which effectively prohibits most states from offer sports betting. However, according to Daniel Wallach, a leading expert on the legalization of sports betting in the US, even if PASPA is not ruled unconstitutional, New Jersey could still walk away with a victory.
Dylan Wilkerson has won the 2018 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee $1,675 no-limit hold’em main event. The 32-year-old poker pro outlasted a field of 1,060 total entries, defeating …
It’s shaping up to be a very lucrative and eventful summer for online poker players.
The opening of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas is just over one month away. However, it is the combining of player pools that has online poker players excited.
On May 1, players in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware will be playing against each other for the first time since regulated, online poker returned to the United States.
WSOP.com is the first online poker site to offer shared liquidity with players from the three states. The much-anticipated combining of player pools will provide more game offerings, an enhanced tournament schedule, larger prize pools, and a longer playing window.
Today, the WSOP shared its plan for an enhanced player rewards program, tournament schedule, and other promotions as they launch. WSOP.com’s Head of Online Poker, Bill Rini, spoke about the plans in a press release:
“We can’t wait for our existing players and hopefully a host of first-time players to experience the new WSOP.com. With the advent of tri-state shared liquidity, we have completely revamped our tournament schedules, our cash games offerings, our loyalty program and our promotional calendar to deliver the best online poker experience in this new world order.”
One of the most exciting developments to come from the combining of player pools is the opportunity for New Jersey online poker players to play for a coveted gold bracelet.
Online bracelet events and WSOP satellites are exclusive New Jersey and Nevada players only.
The WSOP.com online bracelet event schedule:
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While Delaware players are not eligible to play for gold bracelets, they will have access to most offerings on WSOP.com, including a summer worth of tournaments with massive guarantees.
The online poker site is planning for its biggest summer ever by offering $15 million worth of guarantees from May through September.
A revamped tournament schedule begins with a new weekly, must-play tournament. Every Sunday, at 7:00 p.m. (ET)/4:00 p.m. (PT), WSOP.com will host a $320 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed tournament. It will become the largest weekly Sunday tournament on regulated poker sites in the U.S.
Players can also look for the following when they log on to your new account on May 1.
Shared liquidity requires Delaware and Nevada players to download new software and create a new account. New Jersey players with active accounts are ready to play once WSOP.com flips the switch on May 1.
Beginning Tuesday, April 24, players can register for a new account on WSOP.com. Nevada players who pre-register will receive an entry into a drawing for a free seat in the $10,000 WSOP Main Event.
Players can pre-register for a new account from anywhere in the world. Of course, to play real-money poker online at WSOP.com, players will need to be located in Nevada, Delaware or New Jersey.
Players’ bankrolls, tournament tickets, and loyalty points will automatically populate into the new software.
New players and new software demand a new loyalty program. Nevada and New Jersey players will be joining the same loyalty club, Poker Rewards.
Players have the opportunity to earn up to 32 percent rakeback based on the amount of play.
Here is the reward schedule:
The Total Rewards levels currently offered, will no longer be available.
WSOP.com has more exciting offers to come.
Expect a summer full of satellites to the WSOP, including the 25 Seat Scramble scheduled for July 1. The player-favorite satellite offers a guaranteed 25 WSOP Main Event seats.
Players have been waiting for shared liquidity for a long time. And it is finally here.
The WSOP understands the excitement around this momentous occasion and is sweetening the pot to make this summer a memorable – and profitable one for online poker players.
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