Last week, PokerFuse.com reported on a rumor that PokerRoom.com was going to reopen their online poker site.  The article quoted a tweet from one of bwin’s SEO managers, but later that same person recanted his tweet.  In the last couple of days, I have spoken with two sources at bwin.com and can confirm that there is at least some truth to that article.

The official word from my sources is that they are “strongly considering opening up PokerRoom.”  PokerRoom.com recently removed their banner pointing to Partypoker.com with one that claims that the site is “going Back to the Future.”  My first source when questioned about the changes on PokerRoom told me, “Yes, we are strongly considering opening up PokerRoom.  It not 100% as of  yet and we are still considering several factors.”

Last week, Josef Rantamäki tweeted that PokerRoom would offer real money games once again.  Josef is one of bwin’s SEO managers and PokerFuse ran with their article.  A separate contact at bwin told me the following about Josef’s tweet, “Josef did indeed jump the gun there.  My guess is he heard we were considering opening up the site and then saw the changes and assumed that we are definitely going with the changes.”

I then asked the same source why they would make the changes if they were not going to officially open the site.  According to him, “There are numerous things we could do with the site, and it was due for an upgrade.  Even if the site doesn’t reopen for real money play, it could still support other sites on the network.”

By network, this is meaning the Ongame Network.  If PokerRoom were to reopen, the site would be a part of Ongame once again.  PokerRoom opened in 1999 as a free money site and quickly became one of the first sites in online poker history to offer real money games.

So there you have it.  The official word is maybe.  Should PokerRoom reopen, it would resurrect one of the oldest names in online poker at a time where online poker is in flux due to the shutdown of Full Tilt and the near extinction of Absolute Poker and UB.

If the United States were to clear the way for online poker to be legalized, PokerRoom could find itself in a position for strong growth in the new market.  For more regarding PokerRoom’s future, follow their blog on Facebook.

Tags: Back To The Future, Couple Of Days, First Source, Free Money, Guess, Money Games, Ongame Network, Online Poker, Pokerroom Com, Real Money, Seo, Several Factors, Truth, Tweet

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 at 11:29 am and is filed under Poker News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Sources confirm PokerRoom reopening being strongly considered”

1. jds825 says:

   December 7, 2011 at 2:35 pm

   Not sure why anyone would care? The OnGame network has pitiful traffic (<10% that of PokerStars, and half that of Party & Ipoker, going by PokerScout.com figures), second-rate software, and the heavily-criticised Essence rakeback system is a shady money-grab, throwing two fingers up to regular pro players that provide the site the most rake in the first place.

   Will opening up a new skin change any of that? Will the Ongame ever learn from the examples set of the industry leading sites on how to run a poker site?