Online poker player traffic in Nevada continues to fluctuate as Ultimate Poker has made strides recently in obtaining a larger piece of the market share.
UP has managed to close the gap between itself and chief rival WSOP.com. The latest figures show WSOP.com with a seven-day average of 95 players, while UP is not far behind with 70 players.
In late May before the World Series of Poker rolled into Las Vegas for its 45th annual event that featured more than 60 live tournaments, WSOP.com enjoyed 66% of the market in Nevada with 110 players, doubling the 55 found at UP. With an abundance of pros in town and playing at WSOP.com for about six weeks during the WSOP, the state’s leading poker site garnered even more action as traffic rose about 40% at its peak.
However, players began leaving Las Vegas in mid-July and player traffic at WSOP.com has fallen as a result. Whether UP can continue its ascent and catch the market leader remains to be seen, but the increase in traffic as of late has been quite encouraging for the nation’s first regulated poker site.
Real Gaming Yet to Make its Mark
Don’t forget that there is another online poker room operating in Nevada that has yet to fully establish itself within the market. South Point Casino’s Real Gaming launched softly in February and has been going through a trial phase for the past six months.
Real Gaming has stepped up its marketing efforts lately with some new promotions in hopes of attracting Nevada players. The latest promo employs social media and allows players to earn more if they happen to give a shout out about their winnings on Facebook and Twitter.
Known as “Power Up,” Nevada players who win the already established promos of Quadzilla” and “High Hand of the Hour” merely need to tweet about their winnings with a corresponding Like and comment on Facebook to earn an extra $1 on each. Those dollars can add up since there is no limit on the amount of times you can win.
The Quadzilla promo pays anywhere from $5-$50 in cash depending on the table stakes whenever you hit four-of-a-kind. High Hand of the Hour is run four times daily and pays from $5-$100 to the players who make the highest hand at different stake levels during the selected times of 12 pm, 1 pm, 6 pm and 7 pm.
Interstate Compact with Delaware on the Way
Another factor that may have an effect on the market in Nevada is the upcoming pooling of players with Delaware. An interstate agreement was reached between the two states in February and the industry is patiently waiting for that historic partnership to launch.
No date has yet been announced for the pairing, but hope remains that it will be accomplished before the end of the year. Many speculate that a successful partnership may prompt other states to join in on the game, creating an even larger pool of players that continues to grow until almost all of the U.S. enjoys regulated online poker.
