Home / Poker News April 2009 / Bye bye Pokerroom.com
Bye bye Pokerroom.com
Posted by: James Carter. - Thu, 2009-04-16 16:15
I’m definitely not fond of writing obituaries for online poker rooms in general, but this one here stirs even more emotions than usual. The list of poker rooms which fell victim to the pressures brought about first by the 2006 UIGEA, then by the global economic downturn, has grown longer today, with the addition of a name few would’ve thought would ever make this list: Pokerrom.com.
One of the few online poker sites the origins of which stretch all the way back to the 20th century, Pokerroom.com has been closed for good starting April 14th. Parent company
bwin had announced a month ago that the site would be closed and apparently the time has come.
Founded in 1999 by two Swedish poker players, Pokerroom.com hit cyberspace way back when online poker was just a fledgling idea in the minds of a select few. The poker room made the best of the 2003-2004 online poker boom and they overhauled their aging software offering a way better interface and expanding the game selection from Holdem only to Omaha and Stud too. Pokerroom.com was soon one of the biggest online poker sites and one of the most recognizable brands in the industry. The site joined the Ongame network and became the flagship room of the organization.
2006 would be the beginning of the end for Pokerrom.com. bwin acquired the Ongame network, and the 2006 UIGEA has been passed. Pressured by the UIGEA’s restrictions and by network policy, Pokerroom.com gave up its US player base. The Ongame network as a whole continued to thrive in the post-UIGEA market, but Pokerroom.com has soon turned from an asset into a liability for them. Bwin decided to pull the plug on the operation last month, and the plans have been put to practice a couple of days ago. Pokerroom.com’s players were encouraged to join bwin poker through special bonus offers and promotions.
A true pioneer of online poker, Pokerroom.com was among the first online poker rooms to offer a Mac compatible client and solution for mobile platform-based real money online poker.
