PokerStars has integrated real-time ID document verification technology from online and mobile identification and verification specialist Jumio. 

Jumio’s Netverify technology allows customers to easily verify their identity by either uploading their ID or presenting them to their computer webcam to authenticate their PokerStars account. 

Currently, the feature is available in Italy but the upcoming months will see it deployed worldwide, enabling PokerStars players quick and easy verification. 

PokerStars is now allowing players to buy extra play money chips for real money, an option similar to what is offered in social games on Facebook. 

“Our goal at PokerStars is to create the most realistic online poker room experience as possible, and this commitment extends to our play money offerings. In our ring games, a small portion of the pot is taken from every hand…In our tournaments, the fee consists of a small percentage of the buy-in and is paid upon registration,” said the company.

Players can obtain 1,000 free play money chips up to three times per hour, but that’s not much when you consider that stakes in ring games can go up to 5,00,00-10,000,000. Players are not allowed to sell or convert their play money into real money. 

PokerStars has added Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em (NLHE) and Pot Limit Omaha Zoom (PLO) cash games to its offering. 

Zoom is a fast-fold game that, brings the player to a new table whenever a hand is folded or otherwise ended. While players can hit and run, they can’t select who they play and can be placed against anyone. 

Both NLHE and PLO are available in regular and cap formats. Blinds range from 25 cents/50 cents to $25/$50 in NLHE. PLO is capped at $5/$10. 

Buy-ins at each limit range from 50 to 100 big blinds, while there is no mandatory re-buy if going under a certain number of big blinds.

Leander Games has been selected by The Rational Group, PokerStars’ holding company to provide casino gaming platform and game content for the Full Tilt Poker brand. 

Full Tilt Poker is planning to leverage Leander’s LaGa gaming platform  in order to launch third-party content from a range of game developers. The website is currently in the test phase of rolling out blackjack and roulette on the Full Tilt platform.

It is expected that the Leander platform and selected games are expected to go live on Full Tilt Poker this spring.

“This partnership will change Leander’s position within the marketplace from “new kid on the block” to a serious contender. We are a small but dedicated team who live and breathe delivering the best games possible and this deal is testament to the quality of our offering. We are excited about the next few months as we work on our biggest venture to date,” said Steven Matsell, Leander’s CEO. 

PokerStars has added Phased Tournaments to its lobby, a concept which is usually reserved for live events. 

Known before as Flighted tournaments, they allow you to play a Phase 1 on one day and, if you last through a certain number of levels, you move on to Phase 2 with the stack you had in Phase 1. If you make it to Phase 2, your stack from Phase 1 stands and you cannot go back to another Phase 1. 

Phase 1 tournaments run three times a day on Monday-Saturday, 10:25 ET, 13:25 ET, 19:25 ET, with Phase 2 at 12:25 ET on Sunday. 

PokerStars mentioned that players can expect more from the Phased Tournaments in the coming months. 

Poker Players Alliance held a survey in California in support of PokerStars in their attempt to remove the “bad actor” clause from any future online gambling legislation in California. 

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) surveyed 1,2000 Californians and found that 82% of them have a positive opinion on PokerStars’ integrity and efficiency. 2% disagreed with them and 16% were neutral. The question whether PokerStars should be allowed to apply for licensing when and if online poker is legalized and regulated in California received even better results, with 95% respondents with yes.

Some tribal groups want the bad actor clauses in any future legislation for online gambling, which would make it impossible for Pokerstars to participate in the online gambling market in California, which is believed to be the largest in the us. 

There are however tribes and commercial card rooms that are supporting PokerStars and have allied themselves with the company. 

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) has granted Full Tilt Poker a license, which allows the online poker site to provide online poker services from the Isle of Man. Full Tilt Poker will be re-launched on November 6 by the Rational Group, which operates PokerStars and acquired the assets of Full Tilt Poker in August. The company promised to repay Full Tilt non-U.S. customers $184 million when the site opens for business.

In a press release the Rational Group claims that Full Tilt Poker was granted the Isle of Man license following “thorough scrutiny of the proposed operations by the Gambling Supervision Commission.” The senior management structure that will oversee the operations of Full Tilt Poker was also reviewed by the Commission.

Steve Brennan, CEO of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission said, “The Gambling Supervision Commission is confident that Full Tilt Poker will safeguard the interests of its players and adhere to the strict policies and procedures governing Isle of Man licensed gaming companies.”

“Full Tilt Poker’s application was strengthened by the fact that their new owners and management team are known to us and have an impeccable record of compliance with the Isle of Man’s regulatory requirements,” Brennan said.

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission, which was Full Tilt Poker former regulating authority, deprived the online poker site of its operating license on June 29, 2011. Last month, a military plane transported around 30 tons of Full Tilt Poker hardware from Dublin to PokerStars’ headquarters on the Isle of Man. In accordance with Isle of Man regulations, Full Tilt’s servers must be located in the Isle of Man but its headquarters will remain in Dublin.

According to Rational Group General Counsel Paul Telford, the Isle of Man’s regulations set the “gold standard” for the online gaming industry. “Their attitude toward ensuring operators provide a service that is safe, fair and socially responsible is second to none. In particular, the Isle of Man leads the way in ensuring player funds are protected under mandatory trust arrangements that are built into their regulations,” Telford added.

 A court from Barcelona has confirmed that PokerStars has been working legally in Spain from 2001 – the time when it was firstly available online.

PokerStars has a licence from Spanish Gambling Commission launched in June 2012, when this licence was recognized as valid by the Spanish government.

The court reaffirms that PokerStars had not been working unlawfully between 2001 and June 2012 when the current system was launched. This claiming rejects the claims from Codere, the Spanish multinational gaming company.

Antonio Vázquez-Guillén, partner at Allen & Overy, PokerStars' counsel for the case said that this outcome made his client very satisfied. "The Barcelona court judgement is absolutely clear in its conclusion that PokerStars has always operated in Spain according to the law.”

“It clarifies a question that, in our view, should never have been brought to a court of justice," he added.

After it signed an official sponsorship deal with football club Olympique Lyonnais, PokerStars will replace its rival BetClic in France. 

The agreement was started at the match against Evian Thonon Gaillard last weekend and will have PokerStars video branding appearing on Stade De Garland’s screens. Additionally, PokerStars site will have a series of special tournaments for fans of Olympique Lyonnais, with such prizes like shirts, scarves, tickets and even trips to meet the players. The club will display the company’s offers on its own domain. 

Vincent-Baptiste Closon, Marketing Director for the club said: “Digital is a major focus of development for the club. PokerStars is a major player in the digital arena so it is natural for us to associate with this site.”

PokerStars revealed the limited beta of an extension of its free-play site on Facebook. 

The application has been created in Flash and contains features known from other social games, such as experience points and levels, virtual items, leader boards, challenges and achievements. Players can buy additional chips and “gold coins” using a build-in store. The coins can be used to buy virtual items, like different accessories, that will be displayed along with their avatars at the table. 

In other news, the company has announced the opening of their dedicated poker room, PokerStars LIVE, on March 4 in Hippodrome Casino in London.