PokerStars continues to revamp their VIP program.

When PokerStars launched its New Jersey site in March, it implemented a loyalty program which closely resembled the VIP Club offered to players at its international network. Both programs currently use StarsCoin as their currency and are based on a series of levels referred to as Steps. The system is heavily focused on the site’s poker room, but also gives casino players a chance to earn rewards based on the types of games they choose to play.

Now the company has announced that the two programs will be revamped in 2017 to combine the rewards systems of both its poker and casino verticals. This week, the company revealed a few more specifics on the reworked VIP Club, some of which have the potential to ruffle the feathers of the poker community.

The new loyalty club, which is set to go into effect at a still-to-be-determined date next year, will move away from a rewards scheme based on monthly progress to a more personalized program. The current system, Hollreiser says, is great for a small percentage of high-volume players, but leaves behind the vast majority of the site’s customers, which only play casually.

Supernova to become a one-month status

One of the more intriguing changes announced by the company is its plan to switch Supernova from a one-year to a one-month status. In New Jersey, Supernova VIPs will soon be required to generate 6,000 VPPs per month and will have their rewards capped at 28%. The site will make things a bit tougher for international players, who will be required to earn 10,000 VPPs during the same timeframe. Currently, New Jersey players must accrue 50,000 VPPs (100,000 for everyone else) throughout the year to achieve the coveted status, and have the chance to earn up to 30% in monthly rebates on their play.

For now, rewards will remain unchanged on January 1, 2017 for monthly status players, and the current VIP program will stay in place until the launch of the new system. When the new program goes live, players’ existing VIP statuses will be replaced by the new rewards scheme.

PokerStars Casino rewards

PokerStars’ casino VIP Club is a bit different from its poker counterpart in that players earn StarsCoin at a rate dependent on the specific games that they play. To earn one StarsCoin in New Jersey, for example, players must wager $12 at roulette, $54 at the blackjack tables, $30 at Baccarat and $50 in Heads-Up Hold‘em. Slots play yields a varying rate depending on the individual title. Casino players do not earn VPPs, which are only used to set the monthly status of the site’s poker players. This is something that will presumably be remodeled in the upcoming program.

StarsCoin expiration

Another eye-raising change announced by the site this week is its plan to expire players’ StarsCoin balances after a six-month rolling period of inactivity across the company’s various platforms. Last year, PokerStars was criticized for not clearly communicating with high-volume players on sweeping changes which were to come into effect in 2016. In its recent announcement, the site promised to divulge full details of the new system two months in advance of it going into effect.