The European Offensive

It looks like everyone is taking a crack at Stars and Tilt right now. Everyone is attempting to kick them while they’re down and take advantage of the fact that their marketing staff is probably spending more time thinking about whether or not they’re going to be laid off in the next 30 days than what’s going on in the market around them.

I already mentioned Chili Poker’s initial shot across the bow.

Betsson is taking a crack with this recent email.

PLAY SAFE at Betsson and enjoy our EXTRA added FREEROLLS and much more WITH $139,000 on Betsson Poker and €80,000 on Betsson Euro Tables!

Maybe in Sweden they randomly capitalize words but just a word of advice to my caps lock crazy friends, less is more.

Party Poker was the next site that sent me an affiliate email reminding me of Black Friday

There has never been a better time to play at PartyPoker.com! Poker players have trusted PartyPoker.com since 2001. We guarantee our players safe, secure and prompt payments.

Funny . . . that’s never been a USP in the past. Wonder why being able to get your money off the site is now one of Party’s key selling points.

Virgin Gaming was also not worried about being too subtle. This was the subject line of an email they sent out to affiliates.

€100,000 Freeroll…and other non-coincidental brand new Poker promotions

I’ve also been hearing from some bigger affiliates out there that some rooms are offering crazy CPA deals twice or triple their normal rate for luring players off of Stars and Tilt and onto their room.

I think it’s interesting that even some of the smaller operators are willing to to punch the bully while he’s down.

I’m telling ya, there’s five years of pent up frustration from the non-US operators who have been getting beaten up by Stars and Tilt in their own back yard and these guys are tripping over themselves to turn the tables on them.

I hope this fires people up to take on things like social media and other marketing efforts more seriously. I can see how before it might all seem futile when your competitor can outspend you 10x or 100x in your own core market and go from zero presence to the top room in just a few months but even though Tilt and Stars have deep pockets they’re on their back foot trying to figure out what’s going on.

This changes everything and it’s refreshing to see some of these rooms who were meekly taking a merciless pounding unafraid to come out swinging now that they have a chance.