partypoker axes fees for inactivity

partypoker today announced that players will no longer be charged fees for inactivity on their online accounts.

The small admin fee, introduced by previous management in October 2007, was a monthly charge and was deducted from any accounts that were inactive for more than six months. The inactivity fee is currently refunded for any players who reactivated their accounts – either by making a deposit, making a cash bet or wager, entering a tournament or playing a raked hand.

Now partypoker is removing the fee altogether as part of its pledge to listen carefully to player feedback and respond positively to suggestions for improvements.

The removal of the inactivity fee is just one of a raft of measures aimed at improving the player experience on partypoker. Last year, all withdrawal fees were abolished so players could access their winnings free of any charges, regardless of the payment option used.

partypoker has also taken a number of steps aimed at improving the ecology of its poker room and promoting fair and ethical gameplay. This has included randomising seating for cash game players and anonymising local hand histories to help prevent data mining and protect both professional and recreational players.

partypoker ambassador Patrick Leonard said: “It can be very frustrating for players who have taken a break from the game to find that the inactivity fee has been charged. It has always been super easy to reactivate accounts and get the fee refunded but often people are just getting on with their lives and totally forget about it. I think removing this fee altogether will be widely welcomed in the poker community and it also shows that partypoker really is making good on its promise to take players’ opinions into account. There are some big changes happening in the near future including further improvements to our new lobby and table design. Online poker is starting to become the cool thing to do after work and at weekends again and right now there’s no better place than partypoker.”

partypoker Chairman Mike Sexton said: “Listening to players is central to everything we do at partypoker. That means absorbing all comments and complaints, whether in forums, chat rooms or on social media platforms, in conversations with our customer service team or face-to-face at live events. Sometimes players wish to take a break from the game, for whatever reason, without having to worry about their account balances. Players should not be charged an inactivity fee and we are pleased to be removing this historical charge with immediate effect. We also want to reassure players that, of course, they will be welcomed back at any time.”