This story is sponsored by PokerStars
PokerStars increased its share of the Italian cash poker market to more than 25% in February, according to the latest dataset from Italian regulator AAMS.
Global leader PokerStars accounted for 25.8% of the €21.35m gross gaming revenue from ring games generated by the dot.it segregated player pool in February 2012, up from 24% in January, with its closest rivals’ market share suffering accordingly.
Lottomatica, which also operates under the Totosi.it brand in Italy, saw its share of revenue from cash poker shrink to 12.5% in February from 13% in January, while bwin.party owned Italian room Gioco Digitale saw its market share fall to 6.4% from 7.25%. Snai was the one leading Italian room that offered some resistance to PokerStars’ ongoing onslaught, maintaining its market share at 4.4%, a performance that allowed it to overtake fellow Playtech-powered room Sisal in the standings, which saw its share of revenue contract to 4% from 4.5%.
Microgame also strengthened its grip as the leading online poker network in Italy, according to calculations by Casino Choice based on AAMS data. The 15 sites operating on its People’s Poker network and software that were listed by AAMS generated 27.6% of cash poker revenues in Italy in February, a marginal fall on the 28% figure the previous month, but well ahead of nearest rivals Playtech, bwin.party (including Ongame) and Gioco Online Italia.
Playtech, which powers rooms including Snai, Sisal and Eurobet in Italy, saw its market share fall to 13.6%, from 13.8%, while bwin.party (including brands on the Ongame network as well as its own Gioco Digitale, bwin.it and PartyPoker.it rooms) saw its market share fall to 12.4% from 13.3%, and Gioco Online Italia’s to 4.7% from 4.9%.
However, PokerStars and Microgame’s dominance was achieved against the backdrop of the first substantial decline in the cash poker market since it launched in July last year. Revenue from ring games in the ring-fenced dot.country market fell13% month-on-month to €21.4m in February from €24.65m the previous month.
The ongoing decline in the tournament poker market also continued, revenue from this segment falling 48.7% year-on-year to €15.38m, a 6% fall on the previous month. This was however the second best result in the last seven months, indicating that the market was showing signs of stabilisation following the revenue decline that was already underway prior to its increased cannibalisation by regulated ring-game traffic from last August. PokerStars also increased its hold over the skill games segment, which includes tournament poker, to 35.8% from 35% the previous month.
Italy cash poker market - February 2012 (% of GGR)*
Leading rooms
PokerStars - 25.82% (24.04%)
Lottomatica/Totosi – 12.5% (12.97%)
Gioco Digitale – 6.43% (7.25%)
Snai - 4.4% (4.41%)
Sisal – 4.05% (4.57%)
Leading networks**
Microgame/People’s Poker Network - 27.6% (27.91%)
Playtech (including Snai, Sisal, Eurobet) - 13.59% (13.8%)
bwin.party (including Ongame sites) - 12.36% (13.26%)
Gioco Online Italia - 4.72% (4.87%)
*January 2012 figures in brackets
** Calculations by Casino Choice based on AAMS data
To find out more about what’s on offer at PokerStars, see our review of PokerStars.com.
