Following multiple sources reporting rumors that PokerStars’ CEO Gabi Campos had left the building, PokerStars issued the following statement to PokerNews.com on Monday afternoon:
PokerStars announced today that Gabi Campos has decided to step down from his position as Chief Executive Officer, effective Feb. 1, 2012, to pursue other opportunities. The company thanks Gabi for his hard work and commitment and wishes him the best in all his future endeavors. A search for Gabi’s replacement is under way.
Pokerati notes that Campos’ LinkedIn profile appears to have scrubbed all reference to PokerStars, even as past employer. Instead, Campos is listed as currently holding down the position of Managing Director at 888 Holdings’ B2B subsidiary Dragonfish, the same position he held when he left that company in June 2010 to join Stars. Has the past year and a half been just a dream? Did Dragonfish staff suddenly find Campos lathering up in the company shower as if nothing had happened, much like the cast of Dallas discovered Patrick Duffy after that series’ infamous ‘the past season was all just a dream’ fakeout?
PokerPlayerNewspaper’s Wendeen H. Eolis claims to have first caught word of Campos’ departure on Friday while the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure was in full swing. Eolis subsequently confirmed Campos’ exit after speaking to a European contact, who told her that “the handwriting was on the wall for months.” PokerStars has parted company with a few notable names over the past months, including European Poker Tour tournament director Thomas Kremser and EPT founder John Duthie. Does Campos’ apparent soft landing at Dragonfish – which has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to provide the online freeplay World Series of Poker offering – indicate Campos values a connection to the US market above and beyond what Stars (blocked from the US market since Black Friday) could provide?
