UK Online Poker market to decline?

[TightEnd]

http://uk.pokernews.com/


UK Online Poker Market to Decline?

According to top marketing group Mintel, online poker in the United Kingdom is about to go into decline. A recently published report has suggested that the UK market will decline by 7% this year, with gross gaming yield dropping from £265 million (In 2008) to £247 million this year. The market grew 74% between 2004 and 2007, but as a direct result of the recession player habits have changed and the average spend is down from £345 to £281. Other factors which have been sited are rakeback promotions, which have significantly minimised profit margins.

Matt King, of Mintel, commented, "Poker revenues have clearly peaked. The recession is the most obvious culprit, with around a third of poker players now playing less often or for lower stakes because of the economic downturn. However, there may be other inherent problems that the industry has to address. Rakeback promotions, for one thing, are minimising margins and this shows the emphasis is on customer numbers, not the profit generated per customer. Lack of time is another factor impacting on play, possibly suggesting work pressures in the current recession are having a toll on players' free time."

Other facts that have come out of the research include around half players play more than once a week, one third of players play more than one table at a time and live poker has noticeably suffered too.

[TightEnd]

Who recognises trends in their own play in the above?

[TightEnd]

p.s Barry you can promote your book on here in exchange for me taking some content!

[DaveShoelace]

Are you sure thats the right link Tighty? Thats not from Pokernews

[DaveShoelace]

And sweet, cheers 

[DaveShoelace]

Sorry I didnt mean the actual link (thanks again btw) - we never published that story

[TightEnd]

Sorry I didnt mean the actual link (thanks again btw) - we never published that story

Oh. It was from Nov 2009 and I just spotted it trawling back for something, thought it was interesting. and not a diary.

[DaveShoelace]

Fair enough

Looks like we survived the decline anyway

[AndrewT]

Rakeback grinders making games worse
PTR/Sharkscope mean fish lose money quicker and don't enjoy their experience
Saturated market
People too busy reading all the diaries on here
Recession

All these things to blame IMO.

[jizzemm]

People too busy reading all the diaries on here


All to blame IMO.

[paulhouk03]

I am playing lower then I did before but playing a lot more
And better brm

[titaniumbean]

I am playing lower then I did before but playing a lot more
And better brm

love the new avatar paul you clown!

[SuuPRlim]

I think things have, and always will continue to change - and some will always benefit and others suffer but normally the people who adjust and adapt to the changing scenario's better will remain un-harmed.

It's not supposed to be easy imo - although it should be

fwiw though i think local amateur tourneys have been hit pretty hard, which is down to economics imo and that will have a long term affect on everyone i think

[GrafhamGrinder]

we are in a recession, first things to go are luxuries such as poker.

[tikay]

we are in a recession, first things to go are luxuries such as poker.

The facts don't support that, though. The Report seems ro be a bit out of date, but all the latest evidence points to a clear & significant downturn in Online Poker, with the Networks almost all showing a steepening southbound graph.

However, Online Gaming - excluding poker - is going the other way, very much so, & the Online Gaming Market's growth in the last 18 months has been eye-watering.

MORE money is being spent in Online gaming - much more. Less of it is being spent in Online Poker.

The Online poker area which has held up best is the small stakes stuff, where growth continues. Mid & high stakes are suffering though.