With spring in full bloom and the WSOP just around the corner, the online poker industry is preparing for the inevitable slow down that occurs every year at this time. But just because the action on the virtual felt is expected to slow down, it doesn’t mean news out of the regulated markets will.
So let’s jump right in and look at some of the biggest industry stories and chatter taking place this week.
New Jersey’s April Gambling Revenue = Flat
As soon as the DGE (Division of Gaming Enforcement) April numbers hit the net, social media was buzzing with back forth chatter amongst industry analysts and followers. The overall initial sentiment was that the numbers are flat and that poker is the biggest reason why.
Overall, the total revenue for April was $11,428,737. Borgata continued to lead the Garden States operators with total revenues of $4.1 million. Caesars had disappointing month with revenues falling over $700k from March, down to $3 million.
Golden Nugget and Trump Taj Mahal also saw decreases in revenues.
The two shining stars in this months DGE report were Tropicana and Trump Plaza bringing in revenues of $2.1 million and $926k respectively.
Personally these are numbers are in line with what I expected. While it can be argued that payment processing and geo-location continue to plague the NJ market, the real issue is simply consumer awareness.
Until New Jersey operators can figure out how to attract casual players, and those players new to online poker, the monthly reports will continue to stagnate.
Winning Poker Network (WPN) Says Adios To The U.S. Regulated Markets
Other breaking news coming out of the regulated markets this week includes the Winning Poker Network (True Poker, Americas Cardroom, and Black Chip Poker) abruptly exiting the New Jersey market.
This was not the first non-regulated online poker operator to leave these states though. In January Merge forced all of its skins to exit the regulated markets.
Reported first by Chris Grove at Online Poker Report, a lot of speculation is floating around as to why the abrupt decision by WPN. The official statement offered by WPN suggests that the network left these regulated states out of respect to the regulated operators.
While I don’t think the DGE or authorities in the U.S. have made any specific threats to operators like WPN, I do believe that the decision by both Merge and WPN is a precautionary measure and a way of staying of the radar and playing nice.
Will Bovada be next? Don’t count on it, their sports betting revenues would make leaving these regulated states a much more expensive decision.
Who’s Next To Regulate Online Gambling In the U.S.
Trying to handicap the U.S. regulated online gambling market is more difficult than trying to handicap a race in the Triple Crown. Every week there seems to be a new front-runner, as well as a state that once looked positive but is now all the sudden on the back burner.
Craig Klinski from NJPokerOnline.net recently wrote a column assessing the states next to regulate online poker.
Give this article a read, it’s easily the most up to date and realistic assessment I’ve read in a while. I don’t for see any states regulating and coming online in 2014, but if I had to pick a trifecta for the next three states to be live, it would be California, Pennsylvania and New York. And yes, I will be boxing those three!
Speaking of Horse Racing
As a large majority of the readers of this blog are affiliates, allow me to share some Inside Scoop with you. The Triple Crown is one of the most lucrative betting events in the world.
Every year, people who never bet on horses otherwise come out of the woodwork to wager on each of these races. While the off track betting facilities are popular, more and more individuals are going online looking for places to gamble.
The opportunity for affiliates to convert these bettors is tremendous. Whether it’s SEO, email campaigns, or press releases, the amount of people looking to bet horse racing online this weekend and then again in two weeks is remarkable.
I actually had a chance to speak with one of the bosses from BetAmerica.com a few weeks ago, and the figures he told me that the top affiliates earn throughout the Triple Crown made my jaw drop. So boom, there you go. Get ready to make some money this weekend!
