Online poker play traditionally drops in the summer and was expected to get another downward bump during the World Cup.
But statistics compiled by industry observer PokerScout show a more severe drop than expected of 13 percent since 2013.
The decline started before the World Cup, but then continued by another 2 percent after the international soccer competition concluded. Nine of the top 10 international poker sites have shown declines.
The decline is so steep it’s breaking records. On Saturday, July 20, for example, online giant PokerStars’ peak traffic hit its lowest level since Christmas Eve of 2008. The holiday is traditionally one of the lowest play days of the year.
Complicating matters are the recent moves by several European countries to license online poker sites and tax them at new higher rates.
French Gaming regulator ARJEL recently released a report showing that 12 percent fewer new accounts were created in the country during the first quarter of 2014 than in 2013.
In the U.S. where three state have approved online poker—New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware—New Jersey has seen a recent increase in play although revenue has been falling. Nevada, has also seen a temporary boost to its traffic during this summer’s World Series of Poker. Delaware, however, recently reported a 55 percent drop in play in June.
