Popularity Of Playing Poker Online Has Rocketed The Past Year

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January 1,2004
www.pokermag.com


The popularity of playing poker online has rocketed in the past year.

The study, from bookmakers Ladbrokes, quotes figures showing the amount gambled on poker websites around the world increased from €8.5m a day in January last year to €53.9m in December.

There are thought to be around 150 poker rooms now operating on the Internet - up from 30 in 2002.

Players normally take part by first entering their credit or debit card numbers and then compete against other “virtual” players who could be anywhere around the world.

Ladbrokespoker.com, which claims to have 50,000 registered users, makes its money by taking a percentage of the stake gambled on each hand.

The popularity of on-line gambling has raised concern among some charities and organisations.

One source working with addicts said: “Of all the forms of internet gambling we have seen to date, poker could well be the biggest problem, partly because it was previously shrouded in secrecy.”

A spokesman for Ladbrokes said the company took the issue seriously and included on its poker website information about GamCare, a charity which addresses the social impact of gambling.

“Ladbrokes is a responsible operator and would never do anything to encourage problem gambling,” said the spokesman.
 

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Online poker is as crooked as online blackjack. Maybe more. How can you trust computer generated cards where you don't know who (what) you're playing against?
 

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BFL..good point but IMO you can almost see, granted not all the time but almost see people do the cohersion. I just move if I "feel" that at Party poker
 

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Exactly the smart thing to do Dante.

I know of a few people that make a decent buck or two playing online poker consistantly.
 

waw

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AS far as I can see Poker is not the great hope for the future that some people are talking it up to be. The cost of acquiring poker players is going up (a sure sign that there are less coming in) and standards are starting to rise.

Any operator should not hold out toomuch hope of making millions off Poker - it is unlikely to happen, especially considering the amount of time books will have to market it. Remember, they need a totally different player to their usual customers - if the book is on a poker network they need very good players, or else they will loose money transfered from the book into poker. THis is the opposite of what is normally required (a player that looses).

Therefore, marketing has to change completely. Most books are not prepared for this. The rake will just not cover the amount a bad poker could loose the book if they transfer money into poker and then loose it to sharp players on the network from other books.
Risky. Very risky.
 

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