Survey Finds Enthusiasm for Regulated Online Poker in USA

A recent survey by the US Gaming Survey, in conjunction with the Poker Players Alliance( PPA), found that American online poker players would overwhelmingly choose to play at regulated online poker sites should they become available, and that this poker play would have very little impact on the purchase of lottery products.

The survey, which was taken in December 2010, was designed to understand the opinions and behaviors of online poker players in the United States. Over 8,000 responses were received, all by players who either were still playing online poker despite the events of Black Friday and other crackdowns, or who had recently played online poker but had stopped.

According to the survey, those players currently playing online poker would overwhelmingly choose to play at an officially licensed and regulated site if one were available to them. Of the players who are still playing online, 89% said they would immediately switch to a licensed site.

In addition, the survey found that about 55% of online poker players participate in state (or interstate) lotteries. The vast majority of these players choose to play lotteries for less than $10 a week, with only 10% of total responders to the survey stating that they wager $10 or more each week.

Not surprisingly, most players said that regulated online poker would not change their consumption of lottery products. This has been a sticking point for some states, who have feared that offering online poker would simply shift money from lottery products to poker, without generating any new revenues.

What did come as a surprise was the fact that 14% of players actually said that they would likely purchase more lottery products if they were available online with state-licensed online poker sites. Just 1% said this would likely cause them to purchase fewer lottery products.

The survey also showed a handful of other details about online poker players. The majority of players likely fall into the “casual” category, wagering less than $100 per week on their poker play. Most players also stated that the type of poker site they play on isn’t terribly important; rather, they just want the best possible experience for players, regardless of whether they would have to pay taxes on winnings or who operated the site.