According to reports in PR Week, Pokerstars has hired the east coast US public relations consultancy W to expand its player base through a broadened appeal.
The appointment of W followed a competitive pitch in which the consultants were told the work would involve repositioning Pokerstars as a lifestyle brand, and broadening its appeal beyond its traditional market.
“This would take it into areas like music, the arts and a wider lifestyle space, and things more interesting to a wider audience than the traditional poker player,” sources told PR Week.
The brief is also thought to include PokerStars stablemate Full Tilt Poker, both of which are owned by the Isle of Man-based Rational Group.
Industry estimates put the brands’ share of the global online poker market at around 55 percent.
PR Week claims that the current review of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in the UK is set to be expanded to include online gambling, although it does not give a source for this information.
Both W, which has worked with Pokerstars previously, and The Rational Group declined to comment when approached by PR Week.