As first reported by John Mehaffey on Saturday, WSOP NV has launched an Android version of its software in Nevada, marking the first time a poker operator from the Silver State has forayed into the mobile world.
The roll-out follows on the heels of August’s announcement by WSOP Head of Online Poker Bill Rini that both the Android and iOS mobile clients have been submitted for regulatory approval.
Assuming all other things equal, this indicates that the iOS version of the WSOP client should be hitting the App Store shortly.
WSOP’s iOS app was released in New Jersey last December, followed by an Android launch in early-April.
All about WSOP NV’s Android application
WSOP NV’s Android app closely resembles its New Jersey counterpart.
Upon logging in, players are presented with a simple interface from which they can select Cash Games, Sit & Go Tournaments or Scheduled Tournaments.
Both the Cash Game and SNG options direct players to a page where they can select their preferred stake and format (among other options) via a series of sliders. At the present time, only Texas Hold’em games are available via the app.
There doesn’t appear to be any intention of adding Omaha and Stud games, evidenced by their absence on the now six-month old NJ Android application.
Unfortunately, there is no cash game lobby, rendering table selection impossible. Instead, once players select their preferences, they are carted off to either an active or new game.
MTTs are listed in time order. Players can both register and participate in scheduled tournaments via the app, although it should be noted that multi-tabling is currently not an option.
The application is only available from the mobile version of WSOP’s website, as Google’s blanket restriction on real-money gambling apps prevents it from being hosted in the Play Store.
Effects on liquidity
According to data collected from PokerFuse Pro via PokerScout, it appears that the WSOP Android app in having a pronounced effect on cash game liquidity.
However, it’s too early to tell whether the upswing is a direct result of the application’s launch or other miscellaneous factors, such as the network’s strong promotional schedule.
Since the app went live over the weekend, 7-day averages on WSOP are up 8.5%. Over the same time frame, competitor Ultimate Poker has only experienced a 3.3% growth margin.
Given the nature of 7-day rolling averages, we’ll have a better indication of how impactful a role WSOP’s app is having on liquidity by the end of this week.
Recall back in early-April, the launch of WSOP’s NJ Android app had a noticeable yet short lived impact on volume.
That being said, at the time New Jersey’s iPoker market was in the midst of a tumultuous downswing, but since the application’s release, traffic on WSOP.com has mostly stabilized.
Players react
Thus far, reactions from players on the 2+2 forums have ranged from favorable to despondent, with the majority of posters complaining about their inability to get the app working.
This reaffirms the need for better education regarding new software releases via patch notes and troubleshooting guidelines.
Launch hints at regulatory approval times
Nearly 2.5 months have passed since WSOP.com first submitted its mobile clients for regulatory approval. That, for lack of a better word, is bad.
The long delay is a firm indicator that much needed technological improvements are being held up by the regulatory committees, and not necessarily the state’s operators.
This bodes particularly poorly for Ultimate Poker, which after shuttering the doors on its New Jersey operation, reaffirmed its commitment to improving its Nevada poker product. That’s all well and good, but if Nevada’s regulatory committee takes three months to approve every software update, players may end up misdirecting their frustration at UP or in a worst case scenario, abandon the site altogether.
Something has to give.
