Online poker network wants more recreational players

9/8/09 - Creating fertile grounds for speculation and debate this week comes the news that the International Poker Network operated by Boss Media plans to introduce fines on overly generous licensees on the network come November this year.

The motive behind the measure is apparently to encourage the skins to attract a greater number of recreational (and more likely to lose) players, say some observers commenting on Boss Media's intention to fine licensees whose payout ratio (total cash game winnings divided by total cash game stakes) in any month exceeds 99.8 percent of total stakes.

Because the IPN licensees use a common e-wallet system - Webdollar - the provider will be able to assess payout ratios for each skin with accuracy.

Apparently the idea is to redistribute the cash from the fines to those licensees whose websites are pulling in the desired class of (losing) player, assessed by looking at skins which show a monthly payout ratio of less than 97.5 percent of total stakes.

Initial - and unofficial - reports indicate that the minimum fine will be half an average day’s gross rake, while the maximum fine will be 3.75 times average daily gross rake.

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