888 kickstarts global rollout of upgraded Poker8 platform

888 has begun the global rollout of proprietary poker platform Poker8 following a two-year development cycle and extensive feedback from its player base. New features include an optimised mobile device interface with portrait format, allowing players to swipe between tables and play up to four poker games simultaneously. Other features include so-called gift drops, which allow players to win prizes at “unexpected” moments and the introduction of a winner spinner game. The Poker8 platform has been integrated with a selection of 888’s online casino games to allow for greater cross-sell between the two verticals.

“Our new poker platform was carefully developed to combine our product innovation with our customer-centric focus to respond directly to what our customers require,” 888 head of product technologies Gili Brandshtein said. “Through this new and intuitive poker product, we created an enhanced and unique user experience that will establish ourselves as one of the leaders in the global poker market,” he added. The Poker8 product has been soft-launched in a number of European markets since July, with the operator reporting good responses from its primarily recreational player base. To coincide with the launch of the new platform, 888 has launched a new global advertising campaign called “Made to Play” to highlight the extensive development work undertaken on the new interface. The campaign will offer more than $1m (£770,000) in prizes. Poker has proven to be a significant winner for 888 during H1, with the operator reporting a 56% rise in revenue for the first half of 2020 to $36.1m. New poker player sign ups increased by 103% during H1 2020, with more than 60% of players gambling on the site via mobile app. Speaking to EGR following publication of the group’s financial results, 888 CEO Itai Pazner hailed poker as one of the surprises of the Covid-19 lockdown period. “We had poker enthusiasts and new players coming in and trying the game during the period, and the game itself offers great value for time, in terms of the amount that you spend compared to the entertainment you get out of it,” Pazner explained.