The internet's best leading online poker games site, Party Poker, has
seen a decrease in players for the first half of October, which the
company says is a reflection of growing competition and a possible lack
of demand for online poker. However, despite these findings, Party
Poker's parent site, Party Gaming, reported a 33% growth in profit for
the third quarter ending in September 2005.
Much of this revenue can be attributed to online casino players,
which is markedly attracting new online gamblers, many of which were at
one time, avid online poker players. Considering that the first
half of the year saw a rise in more poker players by 81%, the 53% gain
in the second half of the year so far may be why Party Gaming announced
that business was slowing.
Perhaps this was a cautionary measure - However, the year is not over
yet, and online gambling remains to be steady. Shares remain to
hold steady at 78 pence, after falling nearly 33% at the beginning of
September, which was when the announcement was made that business was
beginning to slow down. Party Gaming's flotation was one of the
biggest that the London Stock Exchange had seen in years, and many were
expecting it to bounce the other way. Now that it has done so,
things for the best online casinos and poker rooms seem to be growing
steady again.