Are other skins forcing Party to improve?

[_2000Flushes]

First of all, I've been under the impression that iGM used Party for its primary skin and that the other the skins were owned mostly by established casino sites. I'd appreciate being set straight if this is not the case.

Secondly, it appears recently that Party has taken notice of the fact that it's not the only poker site online. The customer service still blows, but it's faster if nothing else. By and large, they seem to have stopped cutting corners at the customers' expense. One recent example is the overlay they've thrown into the PPM semis. Naturally, this approach helps them in many ways.

Has anyone else noticed this reduced complacence by Party? Is it because of the competition from other sites like Prima and Stars? Or is it because of competition from skins like Euro and Empire?

-2kF

[IggyWH]

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Has anyone else noticed this reduced complacence by Party? Is it because of the competition from other sites like Prima and Stars? Or is it because of competition from skins like Euro and Empire?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm probably talking out my butt here because I have nothing to back it up, but I really wonder sometimes how much business these skins really get.

New people coming into poker know the name Party. I strongly doubt any new poker player really has ever heard of any of the other skins. Then, once you have a Party account and do hear of Empire or another skin and try to sign up, you can't.

I think it's reasonable to assume that a great majority of the people who know how to open accounts on Party & other skins are people who visit poker messageboards.

While you figure most of those people are going to be the high volume people playing with rakeback deals, a lot of that money has to get washed out by the bonus whores. Add that these skins have to pay a royalty to Party every month, I wonder how much money these skins actually make?

I think Empire, Euro and even maybe PN get some decent business but I also wonder how Multi and InterTops still stick in there.

[didymus]

They may not be raking it in like party, but the nature of the business makes ANY players profitable.. even when they have to pay off rakeback or bonuses

[otctrader]

Don't forget that IGM collects a vig from the skins that operate as individual corporate entities, so even if they do cannibalize Party's business, it's not entirely lost. Furthermore, on the topic of customer service, bear in mind much of it is subcontracted out to IGM anyway; while skins retain their own staff for marketing purposes, any "realtime" gaming issues are resolved by IGM reps in Gibraltar or India due to the centralized nature of the network.

For the forseeable future, Party improvements will consist of increasingly attractive bonus offers and tournament overlays which constitute a de facto rake back arrangement that doesn't void exisiting affiliate contracts. In the eyes of fish, it's free money. Win win.

[Adde]

Don't forget that IGM collects a vig from the skins that operate as individual corporate entities...

I think I've seen a number of up to 70% for this. Don't remember where and when, so I may be wrong, but given the affiliate scheme, it doesn't sound awfully wrong. If IGM takes 50%, and the affiliate 30-35%, their (the skin) cut will be about the same as the affiliate.

Anyone know how much others in the business charge, say Microgaming? Granny?

Adde

[MrX]

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One recent example is the overlay they've thrown into the PPM semis.

-2kF

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I missed this, what was the overlay?

[_2000Flushes]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

One recent example is the overlay they've thrown into the PPM semis.

-2kF

[/ QUOTE ]

I missed this, what was the overlay?

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I don't know all of them off the top of my head, but today's tournament had 1504 entrants competing for 26 seats. That's an overlay of 54 entrants or $11,340.

-2kF