World Cup Impacts Poker Traffic

Wednesday June 25,2014 :  WORLD CUP FOOTBALL ACTION IMPACTS ONLINE POKER PLAY
 
Cash game traffic declines – especially during big matches in Brazil.
 
The independent online poker monitor Pokerscout reports that the World Cup football currently unfolding in Brazil is having a subduing effect on cash game traffic at online poker sites – especially during big matches.
 
The monitor cites as an example the clash between Germany and Portugal on June 16, when traffic at most sites declined sharply – at Pokerstars by more than 15 percent.
 
Traffic rose and fell in synch with the bigger World Cup matches at other points, and in the United States online poker operators experienced traffic dips when the US soccer team played against Ghana and Portugal, when cash game traffic in New Jersey fell by between 10 and 15 percent.
 
Pokerscout gives other examples, illustrating the point that interest in specific matches in Brazil resulted in geographical declines in cash game traffic in nations where poker and football are both passionately followed.
 
Major sites recording declines attributable to World Cup matches included Full Tilt Poker, Party Poker, iPoker, Pokerstars and 888 Poker.
 
Pokerscout probably correctly surmises that as World Cup teams are eliminated and winning teams hone in on the finals of the Brazilian soccer spectacular, interest in specific games will intensify and further cash game traffic declines can be expected…albeit more widely spaced because fewer teams will be in action.