Is Poker Declining

Saturday May 23,2015 : RESEARCH FIRM PREDICTS DECLINE IN SOCIAL POKER
 
Companies need to put together a more comprehensive product, says SuperData.
 
The independent market research company SuperData has released statistics showing that social mobile and online poker as a standalone is in decline, and operators need to combine it with casino and other games to ensure audience retention and growth.
 
The company's Social Metrics Report estimates that online social poker revenues will have declined to $179 million by the end of this (2015) year, a significant decrease from the $204 million posted in 2014. It gets worse – by 2017 revenues will be down to $156 million.
 
The solution for standalone social poker operators is to generate more variety and interest for online and mobile punters by creating a more comprehensive product that includes casino and other games, such as that successfully operated by IGT's DoubleDown operation.
 
SuperData's prediction that most social poker revenue will be generated through mobile apps by 2018 will come as no surprise to the industry, but interestingly the research company has flagged the new WSOP app from Caesars as the rising star – it doubled its take-up last year and is set to build further in 2015.