One of poker’s most recognizable brands has re-opened its doors to real money poker. On Thursday, PokerRoom.com returned once more to the Ongame Network, three years after it closed.
The return was first rumored back in November. Unconfirmed sources have informed us that the project was started by bwin.party Stockholm employees as a side project.
Along with Planet Poker and Paradise Poker, PokerRoom.com was one of major brands in the first wave of online poker rooms. The site launched in 1999 and grew to be one of the most prominent names during the Moneymaker boom years.
From the early 2000s it became one of the major brands of the Ongame Network, which was acquired by Bwin in 2005. The network withdrew from the United States with the passing of the UIGEA in 2006 and traffic suffered significantly.
The room closed its doors in 2009. When Bwin joined forces with PartyGaming to form online gaming giant bwin.party in March 2011, the deal included ownership of the PokerRoom.com brand.
Bwin.party is attempting to sell the network, although the process has been delayed. It is assumed that customers on Bwin will be transitioned to the PartyPoker platform prior to a sale.
