It’s little wonder that regulators in France, Italy and Spain have been talking about combining player pools in the interest of greater player liquidity (see previous reports) – recent regulator reports from France and Italy show that cash game poker revenues declined last year.
French ring game revenues declined 13 percent to Euro 188 million – according to some analysts because players are shying away from France’s high taxation. In Italy gross gaming revenue fell even further, down 18 percent to Euro 209 million.
Looking at the overall online gambling market in the two countries, at Euro 749 million Italy generated 7 percent more revenues than France, which was a later entrant into the sector and last year generated Euro 698 million (see previous reports). Italy continues to hold an advantage, offering more online gambling genres that include bingo and casino action, especially in slots.
The numbers represent a 2012 growth in the French online gambling market of just 4 percent, and in Italy only 2 percent.
The French regulator ARJEL’s latest numbers show a worrying decline in active poker players of 9 percent, although officials say this decline has now stopped and appears to have stabilised.
Consequently online poker revenues slipped 2 percent, with cash game revenue declining, although tournament entries showed an increase.
It’s still big money, but this year’s cash game bets of Euro 1,569 million will concern operators when compared to the same period a year ago, when bets reached Euro 1,869 million.
Other interesting factoids to emerge include:
* There has been a decline in high-value players – those who wager in excess of Euro 100,000 in a 3-month period – of 20 percent
* French poker players are getting older; the 18 to 24-year-old demographic in the French player pool has declined by 6 percent from 24 percent last year.
* The female demographic has grown 1 percent from last year and now comprises 12 percent of the market.
* As in other sectors of the industry, the number of players using mobile devices has boomed – more than double what it was last year.
* 694,000 players played at least one game of poker during the last quarter of 2012.
* French sports betting continued to flourish in the final quarter of 2012 – with revenues up 39 percent.