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.