Eastern Europe Online Poker Booming


Friday July 12,2013 : ARE ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPE THE NEW ONLINE POKER GROWTH REGIONS?
 
Pokerstars study suggests that the growth epicentre may be changing
 
A new study commissioned by Pokerstars shows that Internet poker has grown in popularity in Eastern Europe and Asia since the mid-2000s, revealing that the survey identified China, South Korea, Russia, and countries of the former Soviet Union as having the highest rates of growth compared to other regions around the world.
 
Although trailing the above nations, South America (particularly Brazil and Peru), Western and Central Europe, and New Zealand are producing higher participation rates in the game of poker than other countries, according to the Internet gambling operator.
 
Canada, Mexico, and the United States are now experiencing some of the lowest growth rates in the business – perhaps not surprising given the adverse regulatory environment in the United States which has presented a major obstacle for online betting websites.
 
The Middle East has the lowest growth rate of any region since gambling is outlawed by most Islamic regimes.
 
Pokerstars commissioned a heat map to track year-on-year growth in order to identify where growth was most pronounced.
 
Texas Hold’em is the most common game of choice in the relatively new hotspots for online poker, and has grown in popularity among Korean, Chinese, and Filipino players.