First month of online poker growth in two years, H2 data shows
September's gross gaming yield from real-money play grows 4.2% year-on-year " first period of growth in 23 months.
The real-money global online poker market has recorded its first month of year-on-year gross gaming yield (GGY) growth in 23 months, according to figures from eGaming Review data partner H2 Gambling Capital.
September 2012 saw GGY reach 249m, up 10m or 4.2% on the corresponding period in 2011, while average ring game and tournament player numbers of 95,600 for the month represents a year-on-year rise of 3.6%.
It should be noted, however that the improved figures are still substantially down on September 2010 “ understandable given Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker’s exits from the worldwide market and PokerStars’ withdrawal from the US. Compared to two years ago, average player numbers are down 22.9% while GGY has fallen by 21.7%.
H2, in data to be published in the forthcoming issue of eGR, adds that with the re-launch of Full-Tilt set for 6 November it expects “further year-on-year growth throughout the final quarter of the year”, meaning the 5% year-on-year growth seen in October 2010 could be replicated before the end of 2012.
While optimism remains about the online poker market in general, dot.country trends are far less positive. France’s poker market has seen the range of operators narrow as an 11% year-on-year decline in Q2 gross gaming revenue has coincided with the exit of TitanPoker, the merger of PokerXtrem and MyPok, and the failure to launch of Poker Leaders all symptomatic of a challenging market.
Meanwhile the Italian market, which had enjoyed more success than its dot.fr counterpart, reached its lowest ebb since the introduction of cash games last July, following its first month of year-on-year decline in 2012.
H2 Gambling Capital’s full analysis of the online poker market will feature in November’s issue of eGaming Review. To subscribe, click here.