PokerWorks

It is easy enough for those in the poker community to assume that millions of people play poker. We all know friends and even family members who enjoy the game, whether it be on a professional basis, online, or at the kitchen table with the grandparents. But Poker Players Research, a market research company, has conducted a survey that received little publicity at the time but the results of which are interesting.

The latest survey was conducted in February of 2009 and based on a questionnaire submitted to poker players in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Most notably, the latest findings show that there are 10 million people in America who play online poker for real money. The only country that comes the closest, and not by a slim margin, is the U.K., which was shown to have 1.9 million real-money online poker players within its borders. Germany was the next on the list with 1.6 million, followed by France with 1.3 million and Scandinavia with 1.4 million players.

What is significant about the online poker numbers is that they indicate that there has been little slowdown in the U.S. since the passage of the UIGEA in 2006. Though the U.S. government, and even state governments within, has done its best to intimidate Americans into believing that online poker is illegal, most realize that the facts do not correspond with that assertion. With some of the biggest sites in the world, like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, refusing to back out of the most lucrative market in the world, players continue to log on and compete.

An earlier survey by Poker Players Research was done in 2007, and despite the UIGEA just having passed into law at that time and several big online sites like PartyPoker having fled the American market, there were still 23 million regular poker players - live and online - in the United States, which equaled approximately 10.1 percent of its adult population. Those players were part of an even bigger number; of the countries surveyed, 40 million people in the world were playing at that time. The same survey indicated that there was a 14 percent decrease from 2006 in the number of players competing online, though that number was comprised of 23 percent ceasing online play minus 9 percent starting.

Poker continues to grow in popularity. Whether people play at home, venture to local casinos, or log on to an online poker site, more of them are interested in learning the game and playing. It is unclear if the 23 million figure has increased in the past two years, but online poker sites and live tournament organizers note larger numbers each year. If the general growth of poker is any indication, there might be closer to 30 million poker players in the U.S. now or in the near future.

Online play fluctuates, as does live casino play, as a reflection of the financial times, which have recently taken a turn toward recession. However, poker remains an escape for many people, and the knowledge that it is a game of skill in which players can improve their abilities and become winning players through experience continues to bring players to the virtual felt. Despite the ambiguity of the U.S. laws, 10 million of the country’s citizens are still comfortable enough to play poker on the internet. Legalizing and regulating it could only bring more players into the fold and make online poker one of the leading industries, not to mention revenue earners, in the U.S.