PKR.com to Display In-Game Ads

Online poker room PKR.com has struck a deal with advertising firm IGA Worldwide to place in-game advertisements at the poker room’s play money tables.  Based on the companies’ estimates, the ads will reach 60,000 players per day.

The advertisements will be displayed as posters on the walls around the tables, as well as logos placed on the virtual table felt.  PKR.com will also show 15 to 30 second commercials in between play money games, but the ads will be rotated enough so that customers will not be pounded with the same ad over and over again. 

The ads will target 18 to 35-year-old males, who are the heart of the online poker customer base.  Aside from the commercials, it does not sound like the ads will bother anyone, but it is funny that Simon Prodger, Marketing Director at PKR, put this spin on it: “Advertising will enhance the player’s experience by further replicating real-world poker.” 

I think everyone appreciates where you’re trying to go with this, Mr. Prodger, but let’s not go overboard here. 

IGA Worldwide has many large clients such as Electronic Arts, Burger King, and T-Mobile.

It will be interesting to see how this works out for PKR and IGA.  One could envision a day when ads are placed at real money tables in order to develop an extra revenue stream.  And maybe, hopefully, if that ever happened, the poker room might even consider lowering the rake since they would be making the money back in advertising.