PokerStars Takes A Page Out Of Zynga's PlaybookOnline Site Selling Additional Play Money In Anticipation Of U.S. Re-Entry |
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Not long ago PokerStars added the option for players, including those within the U.S., to buy extra play money chips. The model is similar to that of Facebook giant Zynga, which has built a social poker empire out of convincing people to buy the “fake” chips.
Without spending a cent, PokerStars players can acquire 1,000 free play money chips up to three times per hour, but given that play money ring game stakes on the site can go up to 5,000,000-10,000,000, the one grand freebie obviously doesn’t cut it for some.
The company further explained on its play money page.
“Our goal at PokerStars is to create the most realistic online poker room experience as possible, and this commitment extends to our play money offerings. In our ring games, a small portion of the pot is taken from every hand…In our tournaments, the fee consists of a small percentage of the buy-in and is paid upon registration.”
The firm is not allowing play money to be sold or converted into real money.
PokerStars, like other poker platforms with play money options, of course hopes that once players feel comfortable with the game they will move over to real-money deposits, assuming that such activity is legal where the player is located.
The PokerStars options are 165 million for $199.99. 75 million for $99.99, 30 million for $49.99, 7.5 million for $24.99, 2 million for $9.99, 900,000 for $4.99 and 350,000 for $1.99.
PokerStars is looking to be licensed by New Jersey to offer real-money games to those within the state’s borders. A business in the Garden State would give the firm a starting point toward re-entry into the entire U.S. market, once that is legally available. Of course play money sales would be a way to start building up a player database from the U.S. states without real-money authorization yet. Selling play money apparently also doesn’t require licensing.
Right now, only Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have legal real-money web poker.
Other states, including California and Pennsylvania, have looked at online poker.
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