The recent announcement that Dan Bilzerian will represent GGPoker sparked controversy about the message the brand will convey to players. Bilzerian is known for his lavish lifestyle on luxurious resorts and yachts surrounded by young bikini-clad models.
GGPoker to Take On a More Inclusive Approach
GGPoker announced it is planning to “outreach to female players” as a response to the negative reactions by the poker community following the signing of Dan Bilzerian as a brand ambassador for its poker site. Dan Bilzerian is famous on social media for his luxurious lifestyle and high stakes poker games.
Last week, GGPoker issued a statement saying that the Instagram influencer, also known as “Blitz”, will represent the brand live and online. The popular poker website also hosted a birthday party for Bilzerian on December 7 in the form of a $100,000 Birthday Freeroll poker tournament.
A GGPoker spokesperson said that the company’s main objective was to be more inclusive and to make its games available to a broader audience. With his already more than 32 million Instagram followers and 1.7 million Twitter followers, Bilzerian is certainly the person that can provide the site with an enormous reach. However, it is not clear if the signing will do more harm than good, as the announcement was met with harsh criticism on social media. Prominent poker players commented that the collaboration was a move in the wrong direction and conveyed the wrong message to the community.
Dan Bilzerian Gains Negative Publicity for GGPoker on the First Day As an Ambassador
Dan Bilzerian is attracting attention with his lavish lifestyle on social media and has been involved in multiple controversies, such as lawsuits, failed business ventures, and allegations of violent behavior against women.
Bilzerian did not make any official announcement about the partnership with GGPoker. However, he joined a Twitter discussion about his new role as an ambassador by insulting Canadian poker player Vanessa Kade, one of the most vocal opponents of the partnership.
GGPoker said it will make a “concerted effort in extending its outreach to female players” in the nearest future in order to get to the audience that is outside of Dan Bilzerian’s reach. GGPoker added that poker is not a discriminatory game and males and females are all welcome at the table.
GGPoker will continue making efforts to offer gaming experience to players regardless of their gender, beliefs, ethnicity, or other social and personal characteristics, the company went on to say. However, it is still unclear in what ways the company will implement this inclusive approach.
Dan Bilzerian’s $100,000 Birthday Freeroll that took place on December 7 on GGPoker was gained by female amateur poker player Alex O’Brien.