Table of Contents
Issues in the Market
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- Main issues
- Definition
- Abbreviations
Future Opportunities
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- Site differentiation by transformation into experiences
- Mintel Inspire
- Opportunity
- M Poker
- Opportunity
- Could Poker Boom?
- Opportunity
- Edutainment or Poker City & Guilds
- Mintel Inspire
- Opportunities
Market in Brief
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- Are the good times over?
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- Figure 1: The online poker market (gross gaming yield in £m from UK consumers), 2004-09
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- Figure 2: Number of poker players and yield per head, 2007-09
- Can education limit defections…
- … and help grow the customer base?
- Community games control the table
- You must know your amateur from your Pro
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- Figure 3: The key player typologies based on frequency and destination of play, July 2009
- The scramble for market share
- It’s a hearts and mind game
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- Poker gets regulated…
- … and bigger poker clubs have to become casinos
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- Figure 4: Rules on poker in casinos, pubs and clubs, 2009
- Poker clubs becoming casinos get more freedom
- Adiós Las Vegas
- Problem gambling
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- Figure 5: The prevelance of problem gamblers (as % of those gambling on an activity in the past year), 2007
- National Problem Gambling Clinic and a lack of funding
- Taxes on poker profits…
- But how does this create a level playing field?
- The US ban
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- Figure 6: The leading poker networks and their acceptance of American players, July 2009
- Accounts being seized
- The EU to fight back
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- Hard times for gambling venues
- When income is squeezed are some tempted to gamble more?
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- Figure 7: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2004-14
- Poker: Luxury or essential?
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- Figure 8: Trends in selected areas of discretionary expenditure, at current and constant prices, 1989-94
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- Figure 9: Spending intentions in leisure, April 2009
- The effect of the smoking ban
- Socio-economic trends positive for poker…
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- Figure 10: Forecast growth in the adult population, by socio-economic group (%), 2009-14
- … but age trends are countering this
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- Figure 11: Percentage change in the age structure of the UK population (%), 2009-14
- Technological innovation to drive the market forward
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- Figure 12: The penetration of internet connections (%), Apr 2002-Jan 2009
- Can broadband help the age profile?
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- Figure 13: The change in penetration of internet connections (%), Oct 2008-Jan 2009
- Digital TV provides another platform
- MPoker on the up but still a niche area
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- Figure 14: Devices used to gamble online in the past 12 months, April 2009
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Poker competes in the entertainment market
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- Figure 15: Entertainment sales value, by sub-sector (£bn), 2008
- A niche activity but one that is getting less niche each year
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- Figure 16: Participation in selected gambling activities, 2007 and 2008
- Poker enjoys a loyal band of regularity players
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- Figure 17: Trends in games bet on, 2004-08
- Online bingo and casinos are a threat
- Real poker: Competitor or complement?
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- Figure 18: Estimated breakdown of poker players in GB, 2008
- Figure 19: The breakdown (%) of casino stakes (drop in £m), by online and in casino play, 2004-09
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- Figure 20: Poker players (ever played), by location of play, 2008
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Divided player pools
- Social Pokering
- Poker goes iPoker!
- Community Poker
- Poker training
- Online poker gets its own poker controller
- Online Poker utilizes radio to keep player interest
- Female players get their own site
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- The market reaches a peak
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- Figure 21: The online poker market (gross gaming yield from UK consumers), 2004-09
- Figure 22: The remote poker market gross gaming yield, 2004-09
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- Figure 23: The impact of the recession on the frequency and location of poker play (% playing less or for smaller stakes because of the recession), July 2009
- The number of players continues to rise but per capita spend falls
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- Figure 24: Poker key performance indicators, 2007-09
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Texas Hold'em the dominant game
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- Figure 25: The estimated breakdown of online poker gross gaming yield (£m and %), 2008
Market Share
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- Key points
- PokersStars the global leader
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- Figure 26: The leading online poker sites worldwide, week ending 31 July 2009
- Ladbrokes the UK leader
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- Figure 27: The poker sites currently used by online poker players in GB, July 2009
- Figure 28: Estimated share of gross gaming yield from GB poker players, 2008
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- Figure 29: The percentage on online poker players who have tried a site but do not currently use it, July 2009
- Getting customers to try and stay is the key to success
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- Figure 30: The relationship between trying a site and using it currently for the top ten sites, July 2009
Companies and Products
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- Key points
- Networked or standalone?
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- Figure 31: The major poker network providers, July 2009
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- Figure 32: The largest poker sites in the UK and their network links, July 2009
- Betfairpoker.com
- Full Tilt Poker
- Microgaming Software Systems Ltd
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- Figure 33: The Poker istes in the microgaming poker network, July 2009
- Ladbrokes Poker
- Pacific Poker/888 Holdings Plc
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- Figure 34: 888 Holdings Poker key performance indicators, Q1 2008-Q1 2009
- Paddy Power Poker
- Party Poker
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- Figure 35: Party Poker KPIs poker and gammon, 2008-09
- PKR Poker
- Playtech
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- Figure 36: The members of the iPoker Network, July 2009
- PokerStars
- Sky Poker
- VC Poker UK
- William Hill Poker
- Poker information sites
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- UIGEA impacts on UK adspend
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- Figure 37: Topline adspend, 2004-08
- PokerStars and Full Tilt lead the Way in 2008
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- Figure 38: Adspend, by company (top 20, others summarised), 2006-08
- With Full Tilt going old school…
- But PokerStars getting a slap on the wrists
- PKR
- PKR takes to the skies
- TV takes over from the press
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- Figure 39: Adspend, by media type, 2006-08
- PokerStars and Full Tilt change the advertising landscape
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- Figure 40: Adspend, by company and media type (top 20), 2008
- TV ads strongly appeal to the pros
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- Figure 41: The power of TV to attract new poker players, July 2009
- The importance of online affiliate marketing
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- Figure 42: Examples of affiliate programme commission rates, July 2009
- Promotions
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- Figure 43: Examples of sign-on bonuses to new players, July 2009
The Poker Player
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- Key points
- The popularity of poker drops
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- Figure 44: Poker playing, by frequency, 2007 and 2009
- Today’s poker player: young, male, loaded and…
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- Figure 45: The proportion (%) of adults playing poker in the past 12 months, by gender, age and income, July 2009
- … tech savvy but not necessarily highbrow
- The online player gets instant gratification
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- Figure 46: Frequency of playing poker, by where it’s played, July 2009
- The player typologies: Are you a player or a gentleman?
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- Figure 47: The key player typologies based on frequency and destination of play, July 2009
- Older less affluent take the game more seriously, while…
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- Figure 48: The seriousness of poker players, by gender, age, income and internet usage, July 2009
- The net attracts older females to the game…
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- Figure 49: The tendency of poker players to play online+ and live*, by gender, age, income and internet usage, July 2009
- …but live play is preferred by younger men
How and Why Adults Play
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- Key points
- Poker appeals to the head and the heart
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- Figure 50: Why poker players play the game, July 2009
- Poker players fall into four distinct types depending on the core motivation for play
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- Figure 51: The four poker player motivational groups, July 2009
- Players go online for specific reasons but…
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- Figure 52: Motivation for playing poker, by player typologies, July 2009
- Play live for mixed reasons
- Hearts and mind motivated are more cautious with their cash…
- … which explains why the recession has dented their willingness to play
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- Figure 53: The tendecy to play for real money and the impact of the recession on play, by motivation for playing poker, July 2009
- Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened
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- Figure 54: The by motivation for playing poker, by gender, age, income and internet access, July 2009
How Can Player Loyalty Be Encouraged?
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- Key points
- Are poker players brand-loyal? Well, sort of…
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- Figure 55: Factors help driving choice of websites, July 2009
- Brands, games and site features hit the Pro market, but miss the Amateurs
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- Figure 56: Factors helping drive choice of websites, by player typologies, July 2009
- Feature and functional richness the key to site stickiness
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- Figure 57: Factors that help drive choice of websites, by Pros, Semi-Pros and Amateurs July 2009
- Pros twist, while Amateurs stick
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- Figure 58: The number of poker websites used (19 in total), by player typologies, July 2009
Winning Back Lapsed Players
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- Key points
- Young affluent males the most likely to fall out of the market
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- Figure 59: The percentage of adults who have played poker in the past have not done so for the last 12 months, by gender, age, newspaper readership and household income, July 2009
- Boredom and lack of time – two killers of poker playing
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- Figure 60: Why adults who have played poker in the past have not done so for the last 12 months, July 2009
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- Figure 61: Summary factors leading adults who have played poker in the past to abandon the game, July 2009
- More education and innovation needed
- Build communities of interest
- Use promotions and incentives to build loyalty
- Faster play or set time slots
Expanding the Poker Market
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- Key points
- Good news: Potential players look like current players
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- Figure 62: Adults who have never played poker but find it appealing, by gender, age, newspaper readership and household income, July 2009
- Online vs. Live targets
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- Figure 63: Segmentation of targets for the Poker industry, by preferred venue, July 2009
- Lack of education holding the market back
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- Figure 64: Why adults who find poker appealing do not play the game, July 2009
- Also remember TV and social networking can drive new players
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- Figure 65: Factors getting online poker players started with the game, July 2009
Appendix – Broader Market Environment
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- Figure 66: Forecast adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2004-14
- Figure 67: Forecast adult population trends, by lifestage, 2004-14
- Figure 68: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2004-14
- Figure 69: UK household sizes, 2004-14
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- Figure 70: British internet penetration at home/work/place of study or elsewhere, by gender, socio-economic group, age and working status, 2002-09
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Appendix – Market Share
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- Figure 71: Usage of the main online poker sites, July 2009
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Appendix – Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Figure 72: Adspend by company and brand (top 20, others summarised), 2006-08
- Figure 73: Monthly adspend, 2006-08
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Appendix –The Poker Player
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- Figure 74: Frequency of poker playing, by demographic sub-group, July 2009
- Figure 75: Consumer typologies, by demographic sub-group, July 2009
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Appendix – How and Why Adults Play
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- Figure 76: The profile of poker players, by motivation, July 2009
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Appendix – Winning Back Lapsed Players
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- Figure 77: Summary factors leading adults who have played poker in the past to abandon the game, by demographic sub-group, July 2009
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