Q&A: PokerStars director of innovation on the resurgence of poker

EGR Intel: How would you sum up the relative health of the online poker industry in 2018, is it perhaps having something of a resurgence?

Severin Rasset (SR): I would not place 2018 in opposition to the two previous years. As a game, poker still has a lot of appeal, despite going from being the new thing to what is today a more mainstream activity. When PokerStars was created in 2001 there was no mobile, Netflix was making money by renting DVD by mail, and Facebook was still a student directory. Almost 20 years later poker is still thriving, mostly thanks to its simplicity. You can still learn the game in a few minutes but its depth allows for the constant creation of new strategies, new ways to play. That’s the beauty of this game.

Back in 2014, we found that the industry had become focused on incentivizing volume of play, rather than on quality of gameplay itself. As an industry, we risked losing focus on the pleasure and the thrill. So, corrections were made that helped to reposition the industry and the game, and this has allowed it to grow.

A lot also depends on the countries we’re speaking about. We have a list of countries where we feel that poker has yet to explode, like the whole Asian continent with countries like India. Poker still isn’t widely known there, but there is a large appeal for similar skill games. Shared liquidity has resulted in a renewed interest in the game in southern Europe and we see strong growth potential in Latin America, notably Brazil. And of course there’s the US and Australia where we are hopeful legislators will regulate the game. With smart and sensible regulatory support, poker is a game that is just waiting to be enjoyed by whole countries.

EGR Intel:Do you think the industry went too far in its pursuit of the casual, depositing players to protect the poker ecosystem and in the process alienated the more serious players? Are we seeing a rebalance lately?

SR: I can’t speak for the other operators, but I believe that we did the right thing and that it was necessary for the future of the game and its sustainability. We know that our actions came at a cost and that some semi-professionals and professionals were affected. It’s important for us to remember that behind each username, behind each account, there is a human playing with hopes and doubts, and who needs to be informed, heard and understood.

EGR Intel: How surprised have you been by the resurgence of partypoker? Should PokerStars actually be worried?

SR: The more actors pushing for poker, the better it is for the industry. We have been alone for so long marketing the game in many markets so it is a great feeling to see others join us and push to get more players, more activity. It is a great sign for the entire poker world that this year’s WSOP enjoyed its second-best attendance levels ever. However, while it is healthy for us all to compete for existing players, I hope all operators will look to promote the game broadly in an effort to attract new players to the game as that is important to help it grow across the globe.

While I welcome the competition, I am not going to focus on what they do. To me it is much more important to focus on our customers and our strategy to deliver a real vision and the best value for our players. We have a road that is waiting for us and a journey to continue with our players. This is and will remain our focus for 2018 and 2019.

EGR Intel: What impact do you think liquidity sharing in southern Europe will have on the market?

SR: First, it was very emotional as a French player to see the merge with Spain and then Portugal. When the market was closed in 2010, it was painful to watch. I am genuinely happy for these countries that they now have more to offer.

We have been advocating for these changes because we see every day the benefit of liquidity. Bigger guarantees, less waiting time, more stakes, more types of games available; the benefits are really tangible for our players and we can see this from one day (closed liquidity) to the other (shared liquidity). We’ll continue to work with regulators to promote shared liquidity and bring about the best environment for players and operators.

EGR Intel: In general, what do you think the future holds for online poker? Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

SR: I think we have every right to be optimistic.

It is not going to be easy, of course. Habits and consumer preferences are changing fast. A lot of companies in industries outside of online gaming are vying for the attention of our players, and technology is evolving faster and faster. We need to continue to adapt to thrive and it is going to be a relentless fight that will never stop. But we’re as passionate as our players for this beautiful game, and they can count on us to continue to deliver.