Utilize Premium Wearables to Achieve Round-the-Clock Player Liquidity in Poker

BACKGROUND

Player liquidity is reflexive and crucial in online poker rooms because it ensures that games are always available, attracting and retaining players by offering a variety of formats and stakes.

High player liquidity results in high game availability and instant full tables that deliver an optimal experience for players and brings them back to the platform → drives more player liquidity and ongoing revenue for the platform.

Low player liquidity leaves players hanging with low game availability and long wait times for a subpar first experience that does not attract them back to the platform → results in less player liquidity and less revenue for the platform.

Poker players also spill over to other casino games because a large, active player base often explores other games offered by the platform such as slots and other table games, driving additional revenue.

Premium Wearables (previously ‘Ice Poker Wearables’) have earned rewards for more than 3 years. Initially, there was a P2E mechanism where they earned via active participation in ICE Poker; later, by passing a DAO proposal and after the Arcade and Casino each went live, they began earning Bonus USD, Tickets, or Pot Bonus. Today, Pot Bonus rates are under a 2x promotion. Pot Bonus is calibrated such that the amount was too high and the rate at which it was delivered was too slow.

PROPOSAL

• Set the following weekly Baseline rewards per Premium Wearable: $1.25 Pot Bonus Or 3 SNG tickets. (1 + [Wearable %]) multiplier still applies as-is across levels. With the following rules:

  • Pot Bonus unlocks 4x faster vs. today (12% of each pot with 4BB max)
  • Max stakes of $25NL for Pot Bonus
  • 3 minimum players must be at the table to accrue Pot Bonus rewards
  • 4 maximum players at a table may be playing with Pot Bonus rewards (5th player gets joined to new table). This way, new players can always have a seat available.
  • Player only earns a maximum amount of Tickets given how much they used the prior week

• Give the BAG Team discretion to (1) to set caps if claims are unbalanced (all tickets or all Pot Bonus) and (2) reduce the rate at which Pot Bonus unlocks.

• Remove Bonus USD as a weekly reward option for Premium Wearables

VISION

Premium Wearables add the most value to our ecosystem if they are widely distributed between players that love to play lower stakes online poker.

We obtain a balance where we are giving rewards and in return receiving player liquidity in games where it is valuable for net new players.

RATIONALE

We are currently in the growth phase for our 3D Poker Room and Immersive Casino, and to ensure the success of our unique poker offering, it's essential that we bootstrap player liquidity effectively. Every week we are spending a large amount of funds on our Premium Wearables but these spendings are not contributing directly to the success of our casino.

The spending of funds on Premium Wearables should be a win/win both for the casino as for the Premium Wearable holders. Adjusting the rewards to provide player liquidity aligns incentives for casino spendings and rewards for Premium Wearable holders. Limiting the maximum buy-in for Rewards ensures that we always enjoy a longer period of time of player liquidity and that we build player liquidity from the ground up.

Pot Bonus earnings are made more attractive vs. Tickets (which are unchanged). The higher value is appropriate because players also risk their own funds playing crypto poker to earn Pot Bonus. You’re earning 4x more quickly, and, at $1.25 baseline ($1.00 in value after rake), the EV is more attractive than 3 Tickets (~$0.75). Example:

• Current: 6% of pot in a 25NL table (4% rake) – $5 pot, that's $0.30 in Pot Bonus; $0.20 in Rake; $0.10 value
• Proposed: At 12% of pot in a 25NL table (4% rake) – $5 pot, that's $0.60 in Pot Bonus; $0.20 in Rake; $0.40 value