ONLINE POKER BUSINESS MODEL BOOSTS SIGN-UPS
Posted 1/19/11 : Ongame reports 8 percent increase in players in six months using Essence
Six months after introducing the Essence business model, Bwin's internet poker subsidiary Ongame reports an 8 percent increase in recreational player sign-ups.
A company spokesman confirmed this week that since introducing Essence, Ongame has achieved the highest number of recreational, i.e. net depositing, players than at any time over the last two years. And in a year-on-year comparison there has been an 8 percent increase in the number of active recreational players.
"The impact on player activity has been positive or neutral across all player categories," he said. "Additionally, pro players’ net winnings have actually increased compared to the levels pre-Essence."
The Ongame Network's head of poker, Fredrik Kjell said: “We always knew Essence was revolutionary as a concept, but it is of course reassuring and great to see that it is working as intended.
"With Essence, we have turned the tide on poker’s aging business model. We now have it black on white that Essence helps create an even healthier ecosystem, in a way that is unique for the entire poker industry.”
Ola Brandborn, online manager at Paf agrees, saying: “When Ongame presented Essence to us, it was the first time we saw a poker provider really taking responsibility for delivering the best conditions possible to cater online poker to all kinds of players. We can clearly see the results of Essence…bringing in the players that benefit our poker ecosystem, which in the end rewards our players since it helps us provide them a pleasant surrounding that is allowed to flourish and prosper.”
The independent data security and auditing company Trustwave, has audited the rake redistribution element of Essence, and reports that it is working as intended.
“After careful review of the source code of the Ongame Network P5 poker platform, Trustwave feels that Ongame has appropriately implemented the rake distribution algorithm. The implementation within the source code matches precisely the stated design specification and as such leaves no ambiguity towards implementation or its anticipated outputs with regard to rake distribution. Furthermore, no code-level vulnerabilities were discovered in the implementation itself,” the comkpany reported.
