PokerStars to Offer Playtech Slots

PokerStars continues to expand rapidly in the online casino market, as the company has recently teamed up with PlayTech who will provide the operator with a number of slots on its PokerStars Vegas casino client. Now, millions of PokerStars players will have access to the impressive range of online slots available from Playteam, including White King and Greta Blue.

“We’re delighted to have extended our existing relationship with PokerStars, one of the most established and well-known brands in the industry, and providing them with the industry’s best-performing content,” says Shimon Akad, COO of PlayTech.

Over the course of the next few months, PlayTech will be rolling out dozens of new games on PokerStars Vegas. These will include progressive jackpots, and mobile slots. As such, players will have access to some of the most sought-after casino games in the online gambling market.

“We are very excited to partner with Playtech, and to provide our customers some of the best slots in the industry. In particular, their suite of Jackpot games will fill one of the final gaps in our product offering,” says Sam Hobcraft, Director of Casino at PokerStars.

This is a great opportunity for both companies to reach out to a wider range of players around the world. PokerStars players will be able to see how innovative PlayTech slots, which is a mutually beneficial for both parties.

We look forward to seeing the wide range of PlayTech pokies that will be made available on PokerStars’ online casino client. They will be launched alongside some fantastic online slots from Net Entertainment and Next Gen Gaming.

PokerStars to Launch Social Slots

PokerStars is one of the biggest online gambling brands today, offering players a wide range of products in the digital gaming realm. In addition to offering online poker, sportsbetting and casino games, the company has now decided to launch social slots on its app Jackpot Poker by PokerStars.

The Jackpot Poker by PokerStars app was originally launched in December 2015, and it has become a hugely popular game among Android and iOS users. However, the company felt that it could be doing more to satisfy its players, so PokerStars has made the decision to launch social slots the application.

“Players have told us they want the ability to play slots while enjoying our jackpot tournaments and cash games,” says Lloyd Melnick, PokerStars’ Director of Social. “We will continue to add the features and capabilities our players want.”

Teaming up with Imperus Technologies, PokerStars will provide a range of Akamon slots games to the Jackpot Poker app. They will be available as separate games and side games for social poker players. This is a great opportunity for poker players to give a new kind of game a spin, especially well-known slots like those developed by Akamon. In the first rollout of social slots, three games will be released: Fire Wheel 7s, Monte Carlo and Salsa Nights.

“The agreement not only illustrates the popularity of our slot game titles but also shows our enormous potential to the rest of the industry as a way to increase social gaming market share,” says Vicenç Marti, President of Imperus Technologies.

Players can expect to see the new selection of Akamon slots on Jackpot Poker from Pokerstars within the month. We’re sure that they will be pleased to have option of taking part in free-to-play

PokerStars Sponsors E-Sports Team, Team Liquid

Esports betting is becoming a major trend in the online gaming market. Over the course of the past few years, we have seen more and more online sportsbooks offering players the chance to wager on e-sports matches and tournaments like League of Legends and StarCraft. Now, one of the world’s leading online poker operators is getting involved in the market, as PokerStars has struck up a sponsorship deal with Team Liquid.

Team Liquid is a professional esports organisation whose players engage in online gaming at the highest level, such as international tournaments. Members of Team Liquid engage in many different kinds of esports like League of Legends, DOTA, Halo, Hearthstone and CS: GO. The team has plenty of sponsors include Twitch, HTC, Hyper X and Alienware.

PokerStars will join this extensive list of sponsors in a mutually beneficial deal with Team Liquid. The first step will see several members of the team engage in online poker games that will be broadcast to their viewers via Twitch. The first members to do so will be Janne “Savjz” Mikkonen, Jeffrey “Sjow” Brusi, and Dario “TLO” Wünsch.

“I’m happy to announce that I’ll be streaming poker under the PokerStars flag,” says ‘Sjow’. “I used to play a lot before I started my eSports career and it’s a very interesting and complex game. If you want to see an old poker player relearn the game, tune in to my stream.”

In return, PokerStars will be exposed to a wider range of players. Individuals who may not normally be interested in poker will now see their favourite eSports stars engaging in the game. This will increase awareness of the PokerStars brand across a completely different kind of gaming market, and it could be the start of a new trend across the eSports market.

 

Full Tilt Now Migrated to PokerStars Platform

Full Tilt players will now be playing their favourite online poker games on PokerStars’ software. This week, the company completed its migration to the PokerStars platform, so both player pools will be combined for bigger prizes and better game selection.

All Full Tilt players who attempt to login to their accounts this week will be required to update the software. From this point on, the will be playing poker on PokerStars’ software. The lobby will look just like PokerStars and feature all of its games. Players will still be able to access Full Tilt’s Rush Poker, but it will just be a re-skinned version of PokerStars’ Zoom poker.

When players enter the games and tournaments, things will be much more familiar. The operator has decided to keep the in-game look like the original Full Tilt platform. So, players will have access to avatars, customisation options for the look of the room and the ability to play The Deal side game.

Rational Group, which owns both PokerStars and Full Tilt is exciting about the migration, as it means that the company will be able to focus on one platform instead of two. This means they can concentrate more on bringing new innovations to the one platform that will offer players newer ways to play their favourite poker games online.

 

“It will also make us more nimble as we can focus our technological innovation on one platform, rather than two, so we will be able to innovate more quickly and enter newly-regulating and existing markets swiftly,” says Rational Group CEO Rafi Ashkenazi.

Another major benefit is that there will be a wider player pool. This means that players will have a better game selection and access to large prize pools in tournaments. This is an exciting time for Rational Group, and the migration could really boost business.

100 Billionth Hand Promotion at Poker Stars

Yet another milestone is coming up at PokerStars, as the renowned online poker room prepares to deal its 100 billionth hand. Leading up to the milestone hand, PokerStars will be providing players with the chance to take part in a wide range of promotions that offer up generous prizes.

As was the case with all other milestone hands at PokerStars, the company will be awarding promotional prizes to players involved in every millionth hand leading up to the milestone – starting at 99,700,000,000. Every player that takes part in these hands will earn a generous prize, and Poker Stars is ready to hand out $1 million.

An additional $1 million will be split among the players in the 100 billionth hand. The winner of the hand will earn at least $100 000 while the remaining players will earn $10 000 and additional cash for their VPPs.

Players can increase their chances of taking part in a milestone hand simply by playing more hands and multi-tabling. It may take some dedication, but if you end up in a milestone hand, it will certainly be worth the hard work.

Online Poker Numbers on the Decline

There was a time when online poker was the most popular online activity, providing internet users from around the world with a unique gaming experience. Now, it seems as though the trend is dying, as online poker numbers have dropped for the past seven weeks.

According to traffic monitor Poker Scout, online poker activity is down 6% from this time last year. All of the Top Ten poker sites are seeing weaker numbers, and overall revenue has dropped by 12% since 2012.

While these numbers could mean that online poker is facing downswing, industry professionals are more optimistic. At Poker Scout, they are calling it a case of ‘spring fever’, as European temperatures are much higher than usual for this time of year.

“As usual, the fair weather sent players scrambling to get outside and away from their keyboards, causing traffic to plunge across the board,” says a spokesperson for PokerScout.

Despite the decline, PokerStars continued to be the top performer in the online poker market. iPoker followed closely behind along with 888 and Microgaming. Should PokerScout’s predictions prove positive, then these sites can expect a surge of activity in coming weeks.

PokerStars Launches Facebook App

For years, Facebook has been a popular online gaming platform, and online casino developers are finally working their way into the market. This month, PokerStars announced that it would be launching a new play-money poker application on the social network.

PokerStars’ new Facebook application is an extension of the play money offering on its .net website – except this version is outfitted with a wide range social gaming features. These include experience points, bonus prizes and the opportunity to share progress with friends.

All of your favourite PokerStars features will be available as well. You will be able to access a wide range of games include, ring games, tournaments and even Zoom Poker.

It seems that PokerStars has been developing this social gaming application since last November. While it has taken the company quite some time to debut the app, there is still quite a lot of work to be done. It is still in its Beta stage and can only be accessed on Facebook’s online site; the application is not yet available in the Facebook app store.

Facebook has already entered into the world of real-money bingo, and it seems that the social networking site may be keen to launch real-money poker applications. With PokerStars now launching its first-ever social gaming app, the company is well-positioned for entry into Facebook’s real-money online gambling market.

Australia New Zealand Poker Tour Coming Soon

Fall is fast-approaching, and that means one thing for New Zealand’ poker community: the Australian New Zealand Poker Tour is just around the corner. Sponsored by PokerStars, Season Five will kick off in New Zealand in November, presenting poker fans with some exciting competitive action.

The buy-in for ANZPT Auckland is $2000 + $200; so, you can rest assured that there will be some very generous prizes up for grabs this time around. This is the first time that the ANZPT will be coming to the capital, so we’re anticipating a very busy event.

PokerStars has also announced that the ANZPT will be returning to Queenstown again for Snowfest. This leg of the tournament will run from July 30 – August 4, 2012, and the buy-in is $2700 + $300. Last year, the prize pool to an impressive $1.2 million, and first-place winner Sam Razavi earned a generous $300 000 prize.

Spaces are limited for these tournaments; so, if you’re interested in playing, it is best to purchase your buy-in soon. You can also take part in satellites online at PokerStars to earn a free entry into an ANZPT event of your choice.

Full Tilt Poker Lawsuit Expanded

Things have gotten even worse for former Full Tilt Poker owners Raymond Bitar and Howard Lederer. A number of charges were brought up against the two men, after Full Tilt Poker was discovered to be operating in the American gambling market illegally – as well as operating as a Ponzi scheme. Now, new charges have been laid against Bitar and Lederer, as the prosecution argues that they have violated the Travel Act 1961.

The Travel Act prohibits the distribution of funds earned illegally via fraudulent business practices. Lederer and Bitar violated the act by transferring funds from the site’s business account to Lederer’s personal account. These funds were not profits earned from Full Tilt’s operators; rather, they were player deposits.

“The funds were used to purchase/pay for real estate, renovations, new home construction costs, furniture, mortgage payments, property taxes, personal pension plans and 401K’s, and various personal vehicles,” reads the complaint.

Last week, Lederer attempted to use a new ruling that poker is a game of skill to have his charges dropped. Unfortunately, this new revelation will only make matters worse for Lederer and his former business partner, as it seems there will be no way for either party to escape these charges.

Zoom Poker Now Available in New Zealand

PokerStars’ new mobile application, Zoom Poker, is now available in New Zealand. The application, which was launched in the UK and across Europe, last week was previously restricted from residents in the country. Now, New Zealanders have the chance to get in on some fast-paced mobile poker action.

Zoom Poker is a fast-paced poker application which allows players to move to a new table as soon as they fold their hand. It allows grinders to get in more poker hands and new players to get the experience they need to progress to higher stakes.

Texas Hold ‘Em and Pot Limit Omaha are the two poker games that are currently available on Zoom Poker. Each is offered with a wide range of stakes, from 1c/2c to $1/$2, so players of all skill levels can join in on the fun.

Along with the news that Zoom Poker is now available in New Zealand, it has also been announced that the application will also support iOS. This means that iPhone and iPad users will now have access to Zoom Poker and other mobile PokerStars apps.