UK Online Poker Sees Immense Growth
While the global pandemic is causing the cancellation of live events around the world and the closure of land-based casinos, it’s apparent that the interest in online poker is rapidly growing, as more players are turning to the virtual tables.
Since the UK lockdown began, online poker has seen a significant increase in interest among new online poker players and new research confirms this.
The research was conducted by the online poker provider GGPoker using Analysis of Google Search Trends and Analytics data. It showed that a lot more Brits are starting to play the popular card game while lockdown restrictions are in place.
The month following the UK heading into lockdown there was a 282% increase in searches for ‘best poker hand’, while searches for the top four poker hands are also up: royal flush (47%), straight flush (106%), four of a kind (66%) and full house (43%).
Also, searches for ‘Texas Hold’em’ have increased by 292% month on month.
It seems that increase is mainly due to new players looking to venture into poker, with searches for ‘how to play poker’ rising by 200%, ‘poker rules’ searches increasing by 98%, and ‘poker hands’ searches experiencing 182% growth month-on-month.
GGPoker itself recorded 102% gain in new users.
“With people looking for ways to pass the time and escape from the current climate, it’s no surprise that popular escapism activities like playing poker online have seen a substantial increase in interest over the past few months,” commented Jean-Christophe Antoine, Head of the GGPoker Network.
“We anticipate that poker engagement will continue to grow and we look forward to seeing how the market evolves as a result of old and new players alike continuing to refine, adapt and advance their online skills.”
It’s likely that this trend will continue even after the isolation, but only the time will tell.