Online poker play up 63% in the USA
Online gambling on the rise in the USA and Australia following social distancing and lockdown measures.
US.- Research conducted by US online social poker room, Global Poker, has revealed a 43 per cent increase in the use of online poker sites in the United States since social distancing and lockdowns took effect.
The report also shows a 255 per cent rise in first-time poker players.
Prior to the lockdown, around 40 million Americans, or 6.8 per cent of the total adult population, enjoyed poker either live, online or with friends on a regular basis, said Global Poker in its report.
A similar trend is emerging in Australia where a study conducted by Australian credit bureau illion and analytics firm AlphaBeta revealed a 67 per cent increase in online gambling activity.
The figures, based on a sample of transactions of 250,000 Australian consumers, show the online gambling industry as one of the biggest winners of the shutdown, alongside services such as food delivery, up 63 per cent and online retail and subscription services, up 61 per cent.