Neil Alexander Folds, Chris Welch in at PKR

August 28th, 2015 | by Greg Shaun

Neil Alexander steps down as PKR CEO after just two months in the role. (Image: LinedIn.com)

3D online poker site, PKR, recently underwent another change of senior personnel after Neil Alexander stepped down from his position as CEO.

Despite only being in the role for two months, Alexander decided to release the PKR reigns and let someone else take control of the site.

Prior to Alexander’s move to the top of PKR, Leon Walters had been the company’s COO.

Taking over from longstanding CEO Malcolm Graham, Walters saw PKR gradually decline before he left the position to seek out new ventures.

Former Lottery Chief Out of Luck

Alexander, who had previously been the Managing Director of German lottery operator, Mylotto24, was given the difficult task of reviving PKR’s fortunes in the online poker market.

Following a drop in new sign-ups and declined brand presence, Alexander’s job wasn’t going to be easy.

According to the latest stats as outlined by PokerScout, PKR’s recent cash game peak was just 422 players.

Although the average number of players online is closer 2,000, that overall figure means that PKR is ranked only just above sites such as WSOP New Jersey.

This steady decline is something that shareholders have been keen to reverse in recent months.

Although PKR was never one of the largest sites in the industry, it did have a loyal brand following and was always ranked among the top sites in Europe for both game play and value.

However, tough economic conditions, including the UK’s new Point of Consumption Tax, have hurt the operator in recent months and led to a gradual drop-off in numbers.

Moreover, a reluctance to introduce modern gaming options, such as lottery -style SNGs (these games have recently been introduced) and fast-fold poker, has also caused players to find new outlets.

Can Welch Perform Another Miracle?

The weight of these problems, on top of the relatively short amount of time Alexander was given to improve things, were enough to send him to the rail. However, following in his footsteps and hoping he can succeed where others have failed is Chris Welch.

The former Director of the bwin.party group will take up the position of CEO with immediate effect and hope to turn around PKR’s fortunes.

Although Welch had some tough times during his tenure at bwin.party, the changes he implemented seem to have struck a chord long after his departure.

The iGaming platform, which offers poker, casino and sports betting, is currently at the centre of a bidding war involving 888 Holdings and GVC Holdings.

With both companies offering close to $1 billion for the platform, it looks as though bwin.party will soon be given a new lease of life by either company.