Global Online Poker Traffic Down 3% Last Week

According to the latest PokerScout Report, global cash game traffic dropped by 3% last week ending February 18th, at a time which has traditionally been associated with solid traffic volumes.
The only change in the top ten poker rooms and networks was recorded by PokerStars.fr, which moved into tenth place at the expense of MPN (formerly Microgaming Network), which subsequently dropped to 11th spot. There is likely to be more downward movement in MPN traffic soon, too, as Unibet prepares to beta launch their new standalone poker site on February 19th, after which it will move away from the MPN network.
“It will allow a much better customer experience and enable us to focus more on the recreational poker players,” explained Unibet CEO Henrik Tjärnström.
Also, a European online poker newcomer known as The Hive has gone straight in to 14th place in the worldwide rankings, with an average of 850 cash game players over a seven-day period. New poker rooms are expected to join the network soon, likely pushing The Hive nearer to a top ten position.
Turning our attention to the US regulated online poker market, on February 13th, New Jersey reported the biggest spike in traffic since online gambling launched in November, with around 800 cash game players on NJ sites at that time. On the 14th, however, Valentine’s Day saw traffic plummet below 500 people, the biggest single-day change that The Garden State has experienced so far.
By comparison, Nevada also saw its online cash game traffic dip on Valentine’s Day, although the state did not benefit from a spike in traffic the day before like the one seen in New Jersey. Analysts have explained this difference by pointing to the greater influence of tourism in New Jersey compared to Nevada.