ALL GO FOR ITALIAN POKER

5 December 2008

Latest numbers increase turnover predictions

 

The economic conditions may be troublesome, but Italian online poker players appear to be shrugging off the turmoil in world markets, if the latest statistics from the Ministry of Finance in Italy are anything to go by.

The Ministry has just upped its predictions on the first year of real money Internet poker turnover by an astonishing Euro 600 million, increasing its forecast from Euro 400 million to Euro 1 billion, apparently recognising a dramatically rising demand from Italian poker players.

The newly deregulated Italian poker market now has networks such as PokerStars, Playtech and Boss Media in position to service the burgeoning market (see previous InfoPowa reports).

During November 2008, revenues increased by 41 percent month on month to Euro 74.4 million, with Italian operator Microgame S.p.A. taking 30.3 percent of the current business, hosting over 370 000 games during the month.