One of Nevada’s two remaining online poker providers is trying to attract players who had accounts with Ultimate Poker, the third provider that announced its closure last week.
Real Gaming, which is affiliated with the South Point, today revealed a promotion that will match balances of up to $3,000 for former Ultimate Poker players, according to a press release. To be eligible for the “Ultimate Match” promotion, players need to send in a screenshot of their Ultimate Poker account balance or a copy of a withdrawal check.
Players earn the match of their balance through games. For every $50 they contribute to rake, Real Gaming will deposit $10 into their account until it’s matched the initial balance. Players have a year to earn the match.
“While online poker is still new in regulated environments and faces some challenges, we remain dedicated to delivering innovative products and are confident in the success of online poker in the Nevada market,” said Real Gaming co-founder Lawrence Vaughan in the press release.
Ultimate Poker, an affiliate of locals gaming operator Station Casinos, said last Friday that it is terminating operations in Nevada. The company attributed its closure largely to a limited pool of players and weak revenue, two of the main struggles facing the overall online poker industry.
That left Real Gaming and Caesars Interactive’s WSOP.com as Nevada’s only regulated online poker providers. Real Gaming, which just emerged from its trial period, has a smaller presence than WSOP.com.
Caesars Interactive spokesperson Seth Palansky said WSOP.com has various promotions but is "not tying anything specifically to the demise of a former operator." He said WSOP.com "expect(s) to capture the lion’s share" of former Ultimate Poker players.