By Alexis Russell

10/15/2008

                If you aren’t aware of the economic crisis that’s creeping into every sector then you just haven’t been paying attention to the world around you.  When times are hard people will cut their budgets and tighten their belts but certain entertainments, especially one that could bring in cash flow, tend to be one of the last sacrifices people make.  That time seems to have come for online poker.

                Until this month evidence of the economic turmoil had been fairly limited for online poker.  But the October revenue numbers that are already coming in for many online poker rooms can’t be ignored.  Though gambling is an industry that is usually outside of the umbrella of recession, Las Vegas casinos were beginning to feel the strain months ago from rising cost of travel, among other things.  The Borgata Casino of Atlantic City also had low turnout numbers for the Borgata Poker Open a little more than a month ago and is still struggling to get poker players at the tables which isn’t the norm.

                This trend doesn’t congeal with gambling’s history during hard economic times when usually play increases.  But the reduction in online poker play can’t be accredited to gas prices and travel expenses.  The October numbers are down across the board for online poker rooms.  It’s still unclear as of yet the exact cause of the reduced play, but what is clear is that new players aren’t signing up this month like they have been previously.  Online poker rooms in Europe, like Ladbrokes, are already posting a decline in earnings.

                However in Europe unlike the US, online poker is expected to help shore up the flailing brick and mortar organizations.  Without that option here it may be time to entertain the idea of legalizing online poker, if anything for the sake of our own brick and mortar establishments.