After Slump, PartyPoker Thrives Once More. A Good Sign for the Entire Online Poker Industry?

From the CAP News page:

December 30, 2009 (CAP Newswire) – Like most online poker rooms, PartyGaming’s Internet poker branch, PartyPoker, had a rough 2009 (and 2008, for that matter). But finally, good news emerges: In what might be a positive sign for the entire online gaming world, PartyGaming has reported that its poker room revenues have finally returned to a growth stage after six quarters of decline.

According to London’s Financial Times, the upward trend began at the end of September. Prior to that, PartyGaming’s poker room had been struggling against major competitors such as Full Tilt Poker, which has been aggressively expanding overseas (and into PartyGaming’s market).

“In a note, Morgan Stanley attributed three reasons to the poker revenue recovery,” writes Roger Blitz in the Financial Times article, “a more regulated European market; the strength of the dollar (the currency in which players play and PartyGaming reports its numbers); and the company’s loyalty schemes.”

This could mean that online poker players are finally comfortable with spending more playing poker on the Internet again, after months (years, really) of skittishness. Or it could just mean that PartyGaming’s leaders have hit upon an effective new strategy. Either way, it’s likely to be good news for the industry as a whole.

To read the original Financial Times article, click here. For more info on PartyGaming’s online poker affiliate program, click here.