PokerStars has agreed a deal to reimburse players who lost money as a result of the recent closure of rival operator PKR.

In May, PKR appointed administrators after confirming that both the PKR Ltd and PKR Technologies Ltd businesses were suffering from financial issues.

UK-focused PKR subsequently ceased all operations and, as a result, left a large number of its customers out of pocket.

However, Amaya-owned Pokerstars has opted to step in and refund players, having agreed a deal with the court administrator to begin the process immediately.

In a blog post, Eric Hollreiser, vice-president of corporate communications for Amaya and PokerStars, said players' PKR balances will now be made available, "dollar-for-dollar", in PokerStars accounts.

Hollreiser also said the process will offer a "no strings attached" solution for players, adding that PokerStars will contact the approximately 60,000 PKR customers affected by the recent troubles.

"For the majority of PKR players that have an existing PokerStars account, it should take just a few clicks from receiving our email to seeing their PKR funds appear in their PokerStars account," Hollreiser said.

"There will be some further steps for the minority that need to open a new PokerStars account, but our aim and intention is to make funds available for withdrawal as quickly as possible.

"There will be no further obligation or play-through required; there are no strings attached."

Meanwhile, PokerStars has moved to replace its 'VIP Club' with a new loyalty programme in the form of 'Star Rewards'.

The new service is already live in Italy, Portugal and Spain, with plans to also roll out the programme in other markets around the world, with the exception of New Jersey in the US.

Monthly and annual targets that featured in VIP Club will be replaced with daily targets that are individualised for each player.

Customers can earn reward points across all areas of the PokerStars service, including poker, casino and sports betting.

In addition, players will earn 100 points for every $1 in rake or tournament fees and these points can be redeemed to open a chest that holds a certain reward.

Chests are colour-coded to show the maximum amount they can hold, with the top reward on offer increasing in each chest that is opened.

The Platinum Chest holds the largest reward of a maximum of $1,000 (€882).

Severin Rasset, director of poker innovation and operations at PokerStars, said in a press release: "We have designed an exciting and inclusive programme that will appeal to all kinds of players.

"We aim to make every game count and reward their loyalty whatever they feel like playing."

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