- A trio of interviews PokerStars execs on their new marketing direction in 2020.
- Microgaming on MPN’s closure, and on their return to online poker.
- Playtech on their pivotal year, and Swiss Casino on their iPoker launch in Switzerland.
Alex Scott On MPN Closure: “Assumptions About Poker Turned Out Not To Be True” (January 2020)
Top line: “Earlier this month, Alex Scott, Managing Director of Poker for MPN, took to the pokerfuse podcast in a revealing interview detailing why the online poker network is planning to close later this year.”
Key takeaways:
- Alex Scott, Managing Director of Poker for MPN, took to the pokerfuse podcast in a revealing interview.
- “All of the reasoning that underpinned Microgaming’s operating poker as a loss leader turned out not to be true.”
- MPN will close for good on May 19, 2020.
The Cash Game Landscape at Partypoker: An Interview with Tom Waters and Rob Yong (April 2020)
Top line: “Last year, partypoker implemented a raft of changes in a bid to level the playing field and create a fairer site for all players.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker continues investment into making its online poker platform the safest in the world.
- Last year partypoker started to implement changes on the platform that would level the playing fields.
- In an interview with Waters and Yong, the pair reveal more behind their cash game plans for the site into 2020.
A Pivotal Time For Playtech: An Exclusive Interview (May 2020)
Top line: “Playtech, owner of the iPoker online poker network, will be welcoming at least nine MPN skins onto its platform today, as the competing business-to-business MPN will shut its doors.”
Key takeaways:
- Playtech, owner of the iPoker network, will be welcoming at least nine MPN skins today.
- It is a significant coup for Playtech, which has struggled to stay competitive in recent years.
- Playtech says the new skins help the network enter previously untapped markets.
- New web client helps introduce poker to casino and sports customers.
PokerStars on Branded Content & Design: An Interview with Associate Director Francine Watson (November 2020)
Top line: “2020: The year of the coronavirus; its impact felt globally. Businesses have had to adapt to the ever-changing landscape created by the pandemic; the poker industry is no different.”
Key takeaways:
- With all attention turned online, the industry invested heavily into events to make them prestigious for players.
- The stakes are even higher with EPT Online, the first ever online edition of its storied European Poker Tour.
- “We started as a small poker-only production team making our EPT highlights shows and live streams.”
- “Whatever we’re producing, our main goal is to entertain and strengthen our connection with viewers, fans and customers.”
- “Producing the best poker programming and live streams for fans is where our collective heart lies.”
Online Poker Growth: An Interview with Elad Nir, VP Marketing and Head of 888poker (November 2020)
Top line: “Online poker and igaming provider 888 Holdings posted impressive financial results last month for the first half of 2020.”
Key takeaways:
- Online poker and igaming provider 888 Holdings posted impressive financial results last month for the first half of 2020.
- “Our strategy at 888poker was always to provide our players with a unique entertainment experience coupled with engaging promotions.”
- With the new 888poker app, we took that player-centric philosophy and integrated it throughout the platform.”
- “888poker is on a strong growth trajectory and we have a very specific road map to make sure the business stays on track.”
Online Poker Product at 888: An Interview with Moran Fermon, Head of Poker Product (December 2020)
Top line: “Over the last two years, 888poker has been revamping its entire online poker experience. Starting with new desktop tables launched back in 2018, the operator has since rolled out a dramatic upgrade to the entire desktop software and has launched next-gen, portrait-first mobile apps across all…”
Key takeaways:
- “The online entertainment industry is way more sophisticated than it was with a forever growing range of entertaining content.”
- “When you look at our new platform, the emphasis is really on a fun and engaging poker experience.”
- “Now that our new poker platform is live … we will focus our resources on additional enhancements.”
- “Real names on the table is a step in the right direction for the poker industry.”
Launching Online Poker in Switzerland: An Interview with Swiss Casinos’ Head of Online, Patrick Mastai (December 2020)
Top line: “After a two year wait and to the surprise of many, Swiss Casinos became the first licensed online poker room in Switzerland late last month.”
Key takeaways:
- Swiss Casinos Holding AG is a Swiss bricks-and-mortar gaming giant, operating four of the 21 licensed casinos in the country.
- The company partnered with Playtech and has launched a fully-fledged online poker room onto its iPoker network.
- “The introduction of a poker loyalty program will be one of the milestones in 2021.”
Hold’em Poker: A Q&A with Microgaming (December 2020)
Top line: “Microgaming is set to unveil its return to real money online poker with the launch of Hold’em Poker, a standalone peer-to-peer lottery sit and go game that will roll out imminently to its casino customers.”
Key takeaways:
- It is a peer-to-peer online poker game, putting three players against each other for winner-takes-all prize.
- The game will be offered to Microgaming’s casino licensees across a shared player pool.
- The game will be available across multiple devices and the mobile apps will switch between portrait and landscape orientation.
- “We wanted our new poker product to be unique, exciting and reflective of our core business.”
- “It’s really about repackaging poker for a wider audience and strengthening its appeal.”
In-Depth: Can Twitch Be Used Effectively As A Poker Acquisition Tool? (December 2020)
Top line: “Twitch is still the go-to platform for online poker operators looking to market to new audiences. From high-spectacle challenges, to daily streaming schedules, to huge cards-up coverage of online events, most operators continue to pour resources into the platform.”
Key takeaways:
- “Twitch works more as a retention or branding tool; it isn’t great for acquisition”
- “Given that Twitch clearly meets the ‘particular appeal to children’ test and the ‘freely accessible’ test, it’s a real problem”
- “A mid or high stakes player might not realize it, but the freerolls feed the entire poker ecosystem.”
- “We’ve had the thrill of live poker denied to us in 2020, but we’re hopeful that 2021 can see some normality come back to poker.”
The PokerStars Masterbrand: An Interview with Global Creative Director Martin Nieri (December 2020)
Top line: “This year, PokerStars was acquired by Flutter, absorbed into one of the largest real money gaming companies in the world. The industry’s most successful poker operator is now just a small part of a monolithic gambling company.”
Key takeaways:
- “We wanted to create an invitation to this world, to inspire optimism and ask people the question: Are You In?”
- “Anything can happen when you play poker, and nowhere was that more evident than Platinum Pass qualifier Ramon Colillas”
- “As a global market leader, it’s our responsibility to grow the poker market and sustain the game well into the future.”
- “It’s critical that every interaction, every chance to communicate, is conducted responsibly.”
