Black Friday And The Future Of The US Online Poker Industry

Following the shocking news that last Friday the FBI effectively shut down the US online poker industry, players and industry experts have been contemplating the future of poker in the States.
Click Here For Sites Still Accepting USA Players
In an interview with Brian Balsbaugh from poker business services company Poker Royalty, the industry expert said:
“When Pokerstars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker left the US market, 95 percent of the market share for US poker players absolutely disappeared and with that so did $200 million worth of marketing money and advertising money.”
Balsbaugh then went on to explain that we have probably seen the end of such shows as “The Big Game” on Fox and “Poker After Dark” on NBC. He also said we can expect the WSOP attendance to drop off from around 8,000 players to around 2,500, as 60% of entries came through these online poker sites.
As to the effect the situation will have on these poker sites, Balsbaugh explains that if they were worth $20 billion to $30 billion before, their value would now be about half but, as he then goes on to explain:
“I’m told U.S. traffic on @PokerStars & @FullTiltPoker is approx 35%. My educated guess: their international biz continues to thrive.”
As to the effect Black Friday will now likely have on the professional players, the consensus seems to be that most will either decide to play a wait and see game while turning their attention to the live casino poker, or simply decide to head abroad and play. 
Speaking on his blog, Daniel Negreanu said he intended to start playing at the Aria around six times a week, but he has so far expressed disappointment in the lack of action. As he explains:
“I tried to get a game together with Sammy Farha, Sam Stein, and BenB the other night, but it played super small. $50-$100 NLH/PLO. I genuinely thought there would be more action this week, but maybe I’m just being impatient. I just really want to play poker, but I don’t want to play 12 hands an hour either.”
Poker pro Jeff Madsen reflected on the ironic side to the new situation for online pros in the US and quipped; “Preparing for some live grinding this coming week sucks, i have to get off my couch now to lose money haaaaaa.”


Poker News
Mississippi Casinos Post Record Revenue in April as Sports Betting Beckons
04 Jun 2018
Mississippi’s casinos generated gross gaming revenue of $184 million in April, or 5% more compared to the same month in 2017. Furthermore, that total represents an all-time high for the state, and is 1.3% more than the previous record set in 2007 when thousands of volunteers entered Mississippi to assist in cleanup efforts post-Hurricane Katrina.
Switzerland Prepares For June 10th Legalized iGambling Referendum
04 Jun 2018
On June 10th, Switzerland will hold a national referendum to decide whether the ‘Money Gaming Act’ passed by the Swiss Parliament in September 2017 can be implemented next year in its present form. The piece of legislation paves the way for land-based casinos and local partners to offer legalized online gambling in Switzerland, although a
MGM Resorts International Buys NY's Empire City Casino for $850 Million
02 Jun 2018
Real estate and entertainment conglomerate MGM Resorts International has revealed that it’s embarking on a purchase of Empire City Casino, a slots and pari-mutuel wagering venue located in Yonkers, N.Y., just a few miles north of Manhattan. The deal was announced May 29 in a press release, and is expected to be completed near the
Delaware to Launch Full-Scale Sports Betting on June 5th
02 Jun 2018
Last month’s decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn the sports betting ban in the country has opened the floodgates for individual states to legalize and regulate sports wagering within their borders. Before its decision was even made, though, a number of states had already put in place the necessary legislation in order to