Can Online Poker Survive Without The US?

05.29.2008 | 3:04 pm | Poker, News, casinos

While the great debate about online Poker in the US continues to attract controversy and confusion there are many who are now considering the impact upon the industry if the US does not come back online. There are many in the industry making plans for online Poker without the US with the view that any change in the laws of America would be a bonus. So what is the outlook for the online Poker industry?

Only a few months ago the thought of the industry being without the US forever was something of a nightmare. However, as the dust settles on the changes in the US regulations and the rise of places such as Macau come to the fore, many are starting to think that maybe the US is not the be all and end all of online Poker. Maybe there is life without the dollar?

While these thoughts seem to be well based in places the fact is that even though places such as Macau have overtaken Las Vegas as the centre of traditional Poker venues, the US is still a massive Poker market. The online ban has hit many companies hard, both those based in the US and other areas of the world, but there are rumours of illegal online Poker operations in existence in the country. The authorities seem very keen to keep the existence of these illegal operations out of the media but they do seem to exist.

The perfect scenario would be to have the US firmly back online in the Poker industry and while there is every chance this may happen, it does not look as though it is imminent. Europe and the rest of the world still represent new and exciting markets with areas such as China possibly dwarfing the US online Poker market in the future.