Vegas poker room expects activation after online prosecution

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A week after the U.S. Department of Justice indicted several of the industry’s top executives and seized several big poker websites, the multibillion-dollar online poker business remains in turmoil.

But the real winner of this crackdown could be a traditional land casino in Nevada.

Some online sites have even been bailed out in the U.S. to resolve legal issues, while others still operate and house American poker players.

But one game analyst warned on Thursday that the profits of offline casinos across the state could be temporary as players sit on the sidelines waiting for a solution.

“You can see a slight increase, but it’s going to actually hurt in the long run,” said David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Game Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Schwartz said that playing games with money at a casino is not a big leap because online poker allows people to feel comfortable playing games with money. He said that many people won’t be able to do so without access to online poker. 카지노사이트 순위

Poker has historically been less profitable in Nevada casinos than slot machines or even blackjacks.

According to a report by the Game Research Center, poker in February earned $9.94 million from 873 tables nationwide, or $11,391 per table. This is down 7.28 percent from $10.6 million in January, or $12,187 from each of 872 poker tables nationwide.

Schwartz, who wrote the report, expected the monthly figures to rebound from the Poker World Series in Las Vegas from May to July.

In 2010, the poker tournament grossed more than $39.5 million during the three months held at the Rio All-Sweet Hotel & Casino. According to a report in June 2007, poker’s maximum monthly winnings in Nevada since June 2005 have been $17.66 million ($18,397) per table.

“I’ve never made a lot of money,” he said. “Compared to blackjack betting against houses, they just collect money.”

Those who still want to play poker online can still find several sites that still accept players, such as Bodok Poker, Carbon Poker, Sportsbook.com Poker, Player-only Poker, and Card Player Poker.

As of Thursday afternoon, only eight of the 49 sites where the Pokerscout.com track uses figures are open for players in the U.S. to play online poker games.

The raid on some of the big online poker sites last week was known in the industry as Black Friday

“Essentially multi-billion dollar businesses have been severely affected,” said Scott Long, publisher of Florida-based Antitup magazine. “Many cottage industries revolving around online poker are also struggling.”

Long said poker magazines, television shows, blogs and poker training sites were affected following the federal government’s decision to seize the web domain names of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker.

The online poker business is estimated to bring in $6 billion annually in the United States.

“The industry hasn’t disappeared,” he said, “but losing the two biggest ones will affect a lot of people in addition to the seized companies.”