PokerStars plan to develop mobile software

Rumours abound that PokerStars are developing a mobile version of he online gaming platform, giving customers the chance to play poker on the go. Get all the latest info here.

Have you ever wanted to make good use of the valuable time you waste waiting for a train or for your mates to arrive at the pub? It seems that PokerStars may have come up with the answer to your prayers as the company moves further forward in its plans to develop a mobile version of their poker software.

It has been reported that PokerStars has made a significant public step this week by emailing selected PokerStars customers asking for their feedback on a number of issues relating to a mobile phone version of the online poker room.

An extract from the email was posted on 2+2 reads:

PokerStars would like to invite you to participate in a short survey regarding mobile phone handsets and the potential for a mobile version of PokerStars.
This survey comes after months of speculation as to the plan of PokerStars to develop this software. Back in November 2009, PokerStars acquired the mobile gaming development firm Cecure. This company has a proven track record of delivering efficient mobile versions of larger-scale gambling platforms, and former clients include Ladbrokes Poker and the World Poker Tour.

It is widely accepted that this acquisition will go someway towards addressing the issues raised from developing such a mobile platform. Concerns have been raised over crafting a parallel, streamlined version of both the lobby and the gaming environment suitable for mobile display (on both visual and technological levels) and it is assumed that Cecure's technical know-how will provide the solutions.

However, while PokerStars would be the largest mobile online poker room, they won't be the first. Cake Poker claims this honour as they launched a mobile version of their room last year. At the moment though, only customers who have phones running Windows Mobile can take advantage of this. It's hard to judge how successful this venture has been, as Cake does not publicly release figures separating mobile from regular traffic in their lobby.

So how will customers receive a mobile poker room? It sounds great in theory and PokerStars certainly have the marketing savvy and customer base to throw a lot of weight behind a launch of a product of this kind. However, there are certain drawbacks to the consumer as well – a scaled down visual display like the type offered on a mobile device may take some getting used to after becoming accustomed to the usual monitor or laptop size.