In the months following Amaya’s acquisition of Full Tilt and PokerStars, the Canadian company has been quick to implement very noticeable changes, some of which have drawn protest. But the recent announcement that the poker giant would be cutting certain promotions and hiking rake seem to have put players over the edge. With the poker community calling for blood, company representatives issued statements explaining the rationale for the changes.

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“In recent years, we have heard many high-volume, professional poker players say that the games are tougher now and it’s harder to win than in the past,” said Head of PokerStars PR Michael Josem (pictured above) “This is one of the reasons we’ve actually reduced rake previously… but that’s not making the games any softer, which is what would really improve ROI.”

Josem explained that the company has shifted its focus to attracting new players and reactivating old ones through the creation of new poker variants and marketing strategies. Although the recent changes have dissatisfied some, he said, in the long-term, they have the potential to increase the overall market.

But these changes don’t come cheap: “Initiatives to attract players require significant investments in areas of marketing, promotions and product innovation,” he said. Eric Hollreiser (pictured), Head of Corporate Communications for PokerStars, echoed those statements in a recent blog of his own. “Our research and development budget, technical infrastructure, and security costs are significant,” he explained.

He made reference to the over $700 million the company spent on bailing out Full Tilt, thereby “stabilizing the global online poker ecosystem following Black Friday.”

The company has also spent heavily on lobbying for the legalization of online poker around the world, an expense rarely seen or appreciated by the average player. “We support regulationbecause we believe it ensures game integrity, player protection, and increases the recognized legitimacy for the game itself,” said Josem. “However, there are obviously significant upfront costs to these efforts as well as ongoing costs in the form of gaming license fees and duties.”

Some changes, like the decision to drop big-name pros such as Gus Hansen and Viktor Blom, caused a minor stir, but news that rake and foreign exchange fees would be raised have had poker players up in arms. “We know that some of these decisions will not be popular in all quarters and they’re not decisions taken lightly, but are made looking broadly across the poker ecosystem,” said Hollreiser. “It has to be said that our rake, our currency exchange rates, and our VIP program are all more competitive than those of our major competitors,” added Josem.

In the end, representatives wanted to impress upon players that, although unpopular, the changes were not the result of a penny-pinching new owner, but are meant to grow the entire player pool in the long-run.

“The funding has to come from many places and it is perfectly reasonable that some of it comes from reducing costs,” continued Josem. “If we can grow poker, everyone will benefit. Even our competitors will benefit, because in a rising tide, all ships rise.”

That remark is not only directed at players, but at competing operators who are fighting tooth and nail to keep PokerStars out of California and New Jersey. In those states, Indian tribes and casinos are worried that the bulk of players would flock to PokerStars, leaving slim pickings for everyone else.

But PokerStars is hoping to show that the company’s presence in any jurisdiction will be a boon to everyone. “We’ll continue to make tough calls to secure the game in the present and make bold moves to best invest in the future growth of the game,” said Hollreiser. “Our goal continues to be to provide the best, most exciting poker experience and keep the poker universe growing.”

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