- Full Tilt has confirmed that Viktor “Isildur1” Blom and Gus Hansen are no longer representatives of company.
- The end of the sponsorship “follows a year-long review of the Full Tilt brand and a decision to move away from Pro-centric advertising to focus on the experiences and stories of the vast majority of our players,” Full Tilt included in its statement to pokerfuse.
- The new marketing direction for Full Tilt will include an increased focus on games other than poker.
Just days after the remaining Full Tilt Professionals were removed from the home page and log in screen of the online poker client, Full Tilt has confirmed that Viktor “Isildur1” Blom and Gus Hansen are no longer representatives of company.
In a statement to pokerfuse, Full Tilt confirmed that the sponsorship deals have expired and the site is looking to move in a new direction. The end of the sponsorship “follows a year-long review of the Full Tilt brand and a decision to move away from Pro-centric advertising to focus on the experiences and stories of the vast majority of our players,” Full Tilt included in its statement.
Last December, Full Tilt announced that it would not be renewing its sponsorship contract Tom “durrrr” Dwan, who along with Blom and Hansen comprised a group of high-stakes cash game players marketed as “The Professionals.” The trio of well-known pros was assembled by Full Tilt as a means to make a marketing splash to coincide with its return to the online poker market in November 2012.
The parting of ways between online poker companies and sponsored pros has become commonplace in the industry as the popularity and appeal of poker personalities ebbs and flows along with the market participation of some online poker operators. In the US, the recent retreat from the New Jersey online gambling market by Ultimate Gaming led to the company releasing several of its sponsored pros just last month, while its main competitor in Nevada, WSOP.com, signed Greg Merson as its first and currently only sponsored pro.
The new marketing direction for Full Tilt will include an increased focus on games other than poker. “Full Tilt will celebrate the excitement, fun and intrinsic enjoyment of playing our poker, blackjack, roulette and slots games,” the statement continued. The company is currently launching a new TV campaign to promote its new directive. The company plans to release additional information regarding its new focus later in the week.
“We would like to wish Viktor and Gus all the best in their future endeavours,” the statement concluded.
