- The relaunch of Full Tilt was not simply a question of restarting servers.
- The new VIP plan is viewed as a part of a holistic marketing position that wants to give every “player the opportunity to become a professional player.”
- FTP thinks of themselves as competing in the entertainment space.
- FTP has placed a priority on re-entering markets it was strong in before.
- It sees innovation as the way it will differentiate itself from the rest of the industry: including PokerStars.
Full Tilt has never been afraid to take risks … we’re very proud of that heritage and want to take that back.
At midday on Thursday, November 6, Full Tilt Poker was successfully relaunched under new management.
As part of Rational Group’s settlement with the US Department of Justice, $186 million, the sum of all non-US player deposits prior to Full Tilt’s closure, was returned to poker players. It could be immediately withdrawn, transferred to PokerStars or—as the new FTP management hoped—left online and used to play on the relaunched site.
To encourage players to stay, FTP was launched to much fanfare: “relaunch week” included freerolls, happy hours, and big cash bonuses for all. “The Professionals” graced the high stakes tables and players flocked to the site.
Today, six months on, this early euphoria has died down. Players have made their decision whether to play on the new site or withdraw, and FTP battles with other dot-com networks like PartyPoker and iPoker for the second place spot.
Where exactly does it stand today, and what is its plans for growth? We sat down with Full Tilt’s Head of Marketing, Sarne Lightman, to discuss successes and failures, and plans for the future.
