This isn’t a completely new commercial. They were running it frequently about 6 to 8 months ago.
It is possible that they feel threatened, although I’m not sure poker itself is their cause for concern. Online gambling forces them to think about something they’ve never really had to worry about before: competition. (Having Mohegan Sun nearby is hardly competition.)
As more people discover the internets and all of their wonderful tubes, they are probably also realizing that the games offered at online casinos are a better bet than the majority of games offered at Foxwoods.
Of course, the notion of competition goes out the window if online casinos cannot pay players, which appears to be an increasing source of frustration lately. Instant payment is a huge advantage that land-based casinos have over tube-based casinos.