Operators on Microgaming’s poker network to control their own destinies.
Thursday, September 29, 2011 : A DEMOCRATIC APPROACH TO ONLINE POKER NETWORK DECISIONS
Operators on Microgaming's poker network to control their own destinies.
A new title has entered the online gambling lexicon; that of Sportsbook Poker Network…and veteran internet gambling software developer Microgaming is taking an innovative and democratic approach to its content and how it is controlled.
The company's Microgaming Poker Network has formed a new Network Management Board (NMB) to control the development and operational running of the network, which is now classified as a Sportsbook Poker Network.
The new control board will comprise a single representative from the primary operators on the Microgaming Poker Network; a representative from the company's network games team; and a chairman sourced from within the industry, whose identity has not yet been disclosed.
In addition, specialised industry experts will consult to the NMB on ecology, player perspectives and the long-term revenue potential of projects.
Operators and siftware company will share votes on key decisions, with proportional shares determined by a formula agreed by the voting members of the NMB.
The NMB members will additionally determine the criteria for membership of its board. The chairman and consulting industry experts will be non-voting members.
The responsibilities of the NMB will include the construction of the development roadmap, the setting of network-wide policies for marketing and rakeback, including penalties for breaches, and the planning of network-wide promotions.
The formation of the NMB is one part of a project to change the Microgaming Poker Network into what is referred to as a Sportsbook Poker Network, in which all members contribute towards the success of each other and to the network as a whole, a company spokesman said this week.
The first meeting of the NMB will take place in early November this year.
Microgaming's head of Network Games, Lydia Melton, explained the need to adopt a more democratic approach to networking, saying: “Poker is a difficult industry in which to operate, and that difficulty is heightened when operators are not in control of their own destinies.
"By establishing the Network Management Board, we are essentially ceding control of the Microgaming Poker Network to the primary operators on the Network.
"Microgaming is a technology company with over 15 years of experience in this industry, and we will continue to develop and progress our poker software, as guided by the NMB, with no reduction in resources or drive."
