Ongame targets grassroots with GSOP Live poker tour
Ongame Network launches its GSOP Live poker tour in Riga, Latvia, on Wednesday, supporting its drive to help operators on its network to bring in more casual, depositing players.
Ongame Network’s Grand Series Of Poker (GSOP) tour aimed at recreational players kicks off in Riga in Latvia on Wednesday, with 270 players expected to play the four-day event.
According to Ongame, 80% of the 20,000 which attempted to qualify for GSOP Live Riga were recreational, net depositing players, with over half of those qualifying for the event falling into this category.
“You don’t have to be a pro to attend, but we will make you feel like one,” says Martin Lerby, head of Ongame Network. “It is safe to say that we have found the sweet spot for recreational players.”
Ongame recently introduced its Essence tool aimed at increasing incentives to licensees to bring in more casual, depositing players, or “fish”, following similar moves by fellow networks Boss, Microgame and Bodog, with the GSOP clearly launched at increasing the appeal of the game among this constituency of players.
Betsafe, Betsson and Red Kings were among the participant operators on the network offering qualification packages and buy-ins to the event.
Betsafe chief executive Henrik Persson said: “Seeing the big number of players that qualified from Betsafe alone only reinforces our conviction that GSOP Live is a format that fits perfectly into our live offering and to our player base.”
Betfair’s recent move to Ongame off its proprietary software also coincided with it withdrawing from its headline sponsorship of World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in favour of the more grassroots Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT).
Playtech-powered room Chilipoker also recently launched the European-focused Deepstack Open, described by chief executive Alex Dreyfus as “a professional tour for amateurs”.