PokerStars came under fire this week for announcing the cancellation of their long-running PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas, even as the island still reels from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.
Seems a bit rough to announce a withdrawal from the Bahamas mere days after a hurricane devastated the place, especially since literally any other week in the last year would’ve worked just as well.
— Michael Josem (@MichaelJosem) September 12, 2019
PokerStars Ditches Hurrican-Struck Bahamas for Barcelona
The rather drastic announcement was a footnote to the site’s revelation that the PSPC (PokerStars Players Championship) would return again in 2020, though in Barcelona rather than the Bahamas.
It also fails to feature the added $1 million from the inaugural PSPC earlier this year, and no guarantee on the number of Platinum Passes to be handed out. That was enough to spark some serious ire on Twitter…
Lol everything’s the same but we’re not adding $1mm to 1st like last year but it will DEF be bigger and better than last time. Fuck off @PokerStars and shame on you @Lance_Bradley for publishing this garbage spin. Hope ur at least getting some of dnegs crumbs from the empire https://t.co/5d7ciV6BXn
— Mukul Pahuja (@MukulPahuja) September 12, 2019
…though an apology to the well-respected journalist reporting it, Pocket Fives’ Lance Bradley, did follow thankfully. It appears that Bradley’s questioning of PokerStars about their PSPC changes inadvertently leading on to news of the site’s rejection of the Bahamas completely.
The timing of PokerStars decision not to return to the Bahamas was less than optimal to put it mildly, the Bahamas flattened this past fortnight by the Category 5 hurricane.
Winds travelling at up to 185 mph (295 km/h) wreaked havoc across the islands, with 60 confirmed deaths and over 1300 people still missing.
The Reaction
Eric Hollreiser, PokerStars Marketing Director, reportedly stated of the decision to end their association with the Bahamas:
“It’s no secret that after 15 successful years, the PCA [prior to last year’s PSPC] has been losing momentum and there’s been increasing player criticism of the location.”
He added. “As such, we will not be returning to Paradise Island in 2020. PokerStars and our players have had some great success at the Atlantis Resort & Casino in the Bahamas over a strong 13-year run.
Hollreiser finished: “…we have very many fond memories of ringing in the New Year with our PCA. Our research, alongside player feedback, has shown, however, that it is time for a change to keep things fresh and give our players what they are asking for.”
Naturally, Stars can do whatever they like when it comes to such decisions, but the site has previous of appalling communication with its player-base.
Previous PokerStars Transgressions
The SuperNovaElite debacle in late 2015 that led to player boycotts and terrible press for PokerStars was a communications disaster, though Justin Bonomo went much further than that.
“Cutting over $42,000 from your promise/our exchange is not a failure in communication, IT IS THEFT,” he tweeted.
Bonomo also revealed that he had paid “$181,800 in rake to earn Supernova Elite this year”, claiming: “I’m talking about MONEY THAT I GAVE YOUR COMPANY. In return, I was promised benefits for next year. If you don’t want to honor them, then you owe me the money I gave you.”
In my opinion, @pokerstars is acting both illegally and unethically with their failure to honor VIP benefits in 2016 https://t.co/toYeYrXTKp
— Bonologic (@JustinBonomo) December 3, 2015
That year’s EPT Prague event saw Steve O’Dwyer and others wearing “we are against the changes in the PokerStars VIP program” t-shirts in protest.
Even Daniel Negreanu, at that point PokerStars ambassador and the biggest name in the game, criticised his paymasters for communication that was, “nothing short of junior high”, although he defended the reasons behind the SNE plans.
With this latest Bahamas faux pas, it appears that although PokerStars may still be the industry leader in many respects, they have a long, long way to go to catch up in the communications and public relations world.
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