Exclusive: PokerStars launches first mobile poker client
World's largest poker site launches first ever mobile poker client on Italian app Store, eGaming Review can exclusively reveal.
PokerStars has launched its first ever mobile poker client on the Italian app Store, eGaming Review can exclusively reveal.
The multi-player, cash and tournament application, initially for play money only, was launched yesterday in Italy with local players able to download it for free from the country’s iTunes store.
Information on the application on the Italian app store previews features such as “hundreds of thousands of players online every day, only play money games, cash games, tournaments with games starting every moment of the day, chat functionality, multi-table, tutorials, guides and FAQs, and a filter function for all types of games (Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi-Lo), levels, limits and table type”. It also suggests the app is available in Italian, English, French, Russian, Spanish and German.
PokerStars has so far only released two other apps, PokerStars Clock and PokerStars TV, both earlier this year however this is its first ever fully functioning cash and tournament mobile poker app.
According to H2 Gambling Capital’s mobile report, Italy’s smartphone penetration is the highest in Europe at 34% (as of the end of 2010), while its mobile penetration of 151% is also the highest on the continent.
The Isle of Man-licensed operator has been working on a mobile poker client for the last two years.
In November 2009 it purchased mobile gaming software development business Cecure Gaming for an undisclosed amount after the company was placed in administration.
Founded in 2000, Cecure Gaming previously operated its own gaming brand Aces Royal, as well as other mobile brands such as the World Poker Tour mobile, and Ladbrokes Poker Million mobile.
Only Italian players with a registered iTunes account, verified with a credit card and a valid Italian postal address as well as an Italian PokerStars account, will be able to access the app.
PokerStars leads the way in both cash and tournament games in Italy by some margin with a 24-hour peak of just under 3,500 tournament players, according to poker data site PokerScout.
Its share of Italian ring games, however fell to 21% in October from the post-regulation high of 28% in August, but the operator retains its dominance of the tournament format.
The operator’s 21.7% share of revenue from the Italian ring games market in October represents a fall of around 7% from the high of 28.4% it claimed in August, the first full month of regulated cash poker in Italy, according to the latest monthly dataset from Italian regulator AAMS.
Stars, however retained its dominance of the tournament format in Italy, increasing its share of this market to 37.15% from the 36.27% and 36% market shares reported in September and August respectively.