- ARJEL’s qualitative analysis of first half figures provides a strong argument for tax reductions.
- Online poker accounts have fallen most in the young and recreational player segments of the market.
- 10% of cash game players make over 90% of all bets.
- Operator spend on marketing has collapsed by 49% compared to last year, partially, this shows the impact of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament, but mainly it is because operators have been making losses.
The top 10% of active players made 91% of all cash game bets and played 80% of all tournaments.
French online gaming regulator ARJEL has released its qualitative analysis of the first six months of 2013, following its quantitative release last month.
The raw numbers looked bad for poker. Cash game activity was at its lowest since the introduction of regulation and, for the first time, tournament revenues also fell. The qualitative data reinforce the problems facing online poker in France and provide further evidence to support ARJEL President Jean-François Vilotte’s campaign to reform the gaming tax system.
There have now been six consecutive quarters where the number of active accounts in poker has declined—despite a period which should include seasonal upswings.
