Recent times at Party Gaming, and more specifically, Party Poker, have been rather tough. Once the online gaming industry’s biggest and most popular cardroom, Party Poker appear to have transformed into a mere shadow of its former self. Of course, the US ban is the root of all their problems, resulting in the loss of thousands upon thousands of American based players, many of whom have moved their bankrolls over to the established PokerStars and the emerging monster that is Full Tilt Poker. And whilst Party hold onto a portion of their dedicated fans, although in truth it appears to be the other way around, it is no secret that the company have lost 75% of their custom and are making no where near the amount of profit they were this time last year.
But it doesn't stop there, as recent developments suggest that parts of Europe are following suit when it comes to cracking down on online poker. With various countries showing similar concerns to our American friends, Party Poker have acted in a similar way as before by blocking off any future French based players.
But does this mean that the future of Party Poker is bleak? Well, not necessarily. Firstly, Party Poker remains a major player in countries such as Canada, England, Ireland and Sweden. They may have lost 75% of their player base, but considering their prior status as the most popular site around, that remaining 25% still amounts to a large amount of players, in many cases more than those sites unaffected by the ban.
In addition, the Party Poker marketing steamroller drives on, not only targeting vulnerable and upcoming (in poker terms) nations such as Germany, but also the potential newcomers in Asia and Africa. The recent event in Singapore was a key example of the potential popularity of poker in Asia, and if any brand has the ability and experience to pick up those emerging players when online poker is fully legalised, then it’s Party Poker.So, although many players have been lost and, in all probability, will never return if the ban was overturned, Party Poker are showing signs of gradual recovery within the industry and it is clear that the company’s current strategy lies in targeting the thus far unpicked cherries in some of those countries where poker is less of an phenomenon. Only time will tell if Party succeed with this approach.