It is no secret in the poker world that PokerRoom is getting ready to relaunch. Josef Rantamäki, SEO manager for bwin, started the rumor when he Tweeted that cash games were returning to PokerRoom.com This caused a great deal of talk in the blogosphere and poker media. Rantamäki was soon to retract his original Tweet, but most saw this as a P.R. related move.
The question is what is the plan of PokerRoom? It is obvious to everyone that they are fully intending on relaunching. There are new Facebook and Twitter presences. There is also a brand new Website. If the statement by Rantamäki were actually incorrect, then there would certainly be no reason for all of this increased activity.
It seems apparent that PokerRoom is getting ready to offer cash games, however they are not actually saying this. The company is being quite secret about the process. This might be due to a larger plan that involves planning a launch once the U.S. poker legislation passes.
If PokerRoom is planning on positioning themselves for a new U.S. home poker game market, then it might explain their hesitancy to speak about plans. It might also be the case that Ongame is looking to increase its brand’s attractiveness to potential buyers.
PokerRoom is certainly a very attractive brand. It was one of the original sites to ever offer real money games. It is also a site that has the respect of the poker industry. There are countless people who have fond memories of playing on PokerRoom pre-2006. It is also one of the few poker rooms to have never been entangled with any sort of scandal.
This spotless record is going to be very important when and if they get to reenter the US poker room market. New poker players will want to find a site that has integrity. PokerRoom has received Ecogra approval. They also conducted themselves in an ultra-professional way. Remember, they voluntarily withdrew from the U.S. after UIGEA to be safe and ensure that they were complying with any interpretation of the law.
Everyone is already under the impression that PokerRoom is going to reopen. The question is if they are planning on expanding outside of the European market. If they are considering such a move it would appear that they believe that U.S. poker legislation is coming soon.