June 21 - H2 Gambling Capital, which regularly runs objective research on
the internet gambling industry, has predicted slow growth for the market this
year.
The group said that Black Friday will have a major impact on the revenues of
online poker and casino sites.
Instead of the predicted growth of 10.2% that H2 Gambling Capital believed
would happen before Black Friday, these numbers have now been brought down to
4.4% only.
This is the lowest increase in the online gambling market since tracking
began in 1998.
The group said in a press release: "Black Friday and subsequent actions
occurring in the United States decimated the scale of the internet poker
industry in that market."
"At this stage we have calculated that the impact will equate to as much as
€765 million of lost market value this year and a further €100 million
next year."
Natural Disasters Also Impact Online Gambling
What many may not be aware of is that natural disasters also
have the potential to impact online gambling. The Japanese earthquakes and
tsunami, for example, also accounted for lost revenue in the industry.
"The Japanese Racing Association remains by far the largest
interactive operator in the world," read the H2 statement. "Following the
earthquake all aspects of their business were down and particularly mobile
betting as people freed up the networks for emergency care."
However, there is some good news on the horizon. The Italian
market will open up this summer, and Spain, Greece and Belgium will follow suit
next year - meaning that the international market will continue to grow, and
with it, revenue.
In addition, the group predicts that, despite recent
developments in the US poker market, there is potential for legislation to be
approved that will pave the way for a legalized and regulated online poker and
gambling industry.
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