Latest study from the Research and Markets organization continues
to paint a rosy picture of the online poker business:
The amount gambled on poker websites around the world is estimated
to be more than US$ 60 billion for 2005.
More than 60% of the industry experts surveyed believe that online poker will be the dominant offer in online gambling in 2-3 years.
75 percent of the industry experts surveyed believe that the global
annual rake/commission in the 2-3 years will be more than US$ 4 billion.
When it comes to geographical expansion, Europe seems to be the place
to go; 52 percent of the experts believe that Europe offers the greatest
future potential for online poker. Market leader Party Poker, for
example, is planning to launch its presence on television throughout
Europe very soon and already operates its site in one other language
besides English – German.
On the downside, the study points out that the online poker market will
become a tougher market in the future. With decreasing revenues per
active player and growing competition, the poker operators have to find
successful strategies for the future. The industry insiders surveyed
recommend as the most important strategies for the future the creation
of poker networks, the entry into the market by more betting brands
such as Ladbrokes, and the consolidation of poker sites.