888 and its network partner WSOP are set to have a very busy second half of the year in US online poker.
There is the planned launch of WSOP Pennsylvania and WSOP Michigan; the potential in West Virginia; the expansion of its cross-state network; and the plan for more 888-branded online poker rooms and even a rebranded network.
In his exclusive interview with Poker Industry PRO, published on Monday, 888 Holdings’ Senior Vice President and Head of US, Yaniv Sherman laid out in detail the operator’s plans for what happens next. And one of the most exciting developments for Sherman is the launch of its Poker 8 platform in the United States.
Poker 8 has now deployed everywhere globally except US markets. The operator expects to deploy it when it goes live with Michigan online poker and PA online poker, and then later roll it out to its existing states in Nevada and New Jersey.
I expect these players to pull our product forward and upward.
In the in-depth interview, Sherman dug deeper into the motivations behind the platform revamp, highlighting two key areas of focus: Mobile devices and the players themselves.
Catering for the Modern Player
“We want to crack mobile poker. It’s the last gaming product that really hasn’t cracked mobile,” Sherman told PRO. “It’s very hard, especially for Millennials and Gen Zs, to spend too much time on anything, let alone playing a tournament on a mobile device. We had to crack that.”
“The player has changed in the past decade. He’s gotten better in some cases, he’s [also] got more recreational [...] how do we get millennials and Gen Zs through the door? They’re playing e-sports and Fortnite. How do we reintroduce them to poker?”
The Poker 8 platform is hotly anticipated in the US. It started rolling out globally two years ago but has yet to make an appearance in America.
The software overhaul is the biggest platform revamp 888 has undertaken in a decade, and a lot has changed in the world of poker—as Sherman was keen to emphasize. “The last time we had to make such a fundamental product decision was back in 2011,” he said.
I’m really excited to see what 2022 and onward brings to bring poker back to its justifiable place as a podium vertical
Poker 8 has received glowing reviews wherever it has been released, but Sherman is keen to point out that this is just the beginning for the state-of-the-art platform.
“I’m excited to see how it evolves in the US, because what that enables us [to do] for the first time since we launched in the US is for our Poker 8 platform to run in stride with our global deployment. New feature, new functionalities.”
Positive Outlook for US Online Poker
Sherman’s enthusiasm comes through loud and clear—and he is full of confidence for the future of poker in America. “The US is Poker Nation. We tend to forget that… the US player is extremely demanding, very astute, and sophisticated. I expect these players to pull our product forward and upward.”
It reflects a level of optimism that is running through the US poker industry right now. The live game is starting to take root again post-covid, and the barriers that have stymied the online game for so long finally appear to be coming down.
And while Sherman is buoyant about 888’s current situation, he is keeping one eye firmly on the future. Many will see the launch of Poker 8 as the culmination of a project, but for him it is just the beginning.
“This is really a start,” he insists. “I’m really excited to see what 2022 and onward brings to bring poker back to its justifiable place as a podium vertical rather than something that’s been put aside.”
Naturally, there were not many specifics revealed, but Sherman assured PRO that 888 will be doing “a host of things.” He went on to talk about experimenting and some of the plans that he has seen in development. When pushed to expand, details were avoided.
“I will just say we’re working on a few big things right now, so watch that space. We’re very focused on just getting Poker 8 up and live and operating. I think the second half of the year will be exciting.”
The full interview with Yaniv Sherman was published on Poker Industry PRO on Monday.
