PokerStars Goes Live on Amazon Fire TV as Social Media Expansion Continues

January 18th, 2016 | by Kaycee James

PokerStars Jackpot Poker Amazon Fire TV.

PokerStars launches free-to-play Jackpot Poker game on Amazon Fire TV devices. The iPoker company is pushing its social media games to draw in more amateur players. (Image: aftvnews.com)

PokerStars’ free-to-play poker game, Jackpot Poker, is now available for Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Fire TV stick users.

The game, which just launched on Facebook last month, is based on Spin & Go games. But instead of playing for cash, players compete for virtual coins.

According to a recent press release, the new game has been optimized for use with Amazon Fire-enabled TVs, which means the resolutions will be much larger than other PokerStars’ products.

Additionally, the game’s action buttons have been designed to be compatible with Amazon Fire’s game controller.

Turning Poker into a Game

The latest software release is one that’s clearly designed to make poker much more like a computer game. This strategy is one that will appeal to casual players and social gamers, two markets PokerStars has been targeting over the last few months.

In fact, on top of creating a dedicated Twitch channel, PokerStars has released a range of products over the past 12 months, including an Apple TV app.

Launched earlier this month, PokerStars’ Apple TV app gives poker fans the chance to watch a variety of broadcasts 24 hours a day. Although the app is still in its early stages of development, it already contains exclusive videos from PokerStars events, such as the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the recently wrapped PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).

Since Amaya purchased PokerStars for $4.9 billion, it has released a number of innovations designed to make the game more appealing to casual players. The latest release on Amazon Fire TV is just another step towards that goal.

“By being the first major poker app on Amazon Fire TV devices, we can help poker players around the world find a new way to enjoy their favorite sport,” said Lloyd Melnick, PokerStars’ director of social gaming.

New Direction Not for Everyone

Although the new marketing strategy has helped PokerStars reach new markets, it hasn’t proved as appealing to existing upper echelon players.

Following a series of changes to its loyalty program, PokerStars has received a wave of criticism from this longstanding market segment.

In addition to the departure of various team members, including Alex Millar and Isaac Haxton, in protest of some of the company’s new marketing directions, hundreds of players have demonstrated their discontent by staging two separate online protests in the form of sit outs.

Despite the backlash, PokerStars has insisted its new direction will benefit players of all skill levels and help to bring some much-needed fresh blood into the game.

Whether the latest release on Amazon Fire TV can do this remains to be seen.