Online Poker - Industry Overview

Online poker has been the fastest growing segment of the online gaming industry for the last three years. The online poker boom has been phenomenal, and all trends point towards further growth. According to some sources, the online poker industry has grown by a rate of roughly 600% in the last year alone! The United States is responsible for the vast majority of this growth, but there is still huge potential for further online poker growth in Europe, Canada and the rest of the world. (1)

The online poker industry is still relatively new with its inception taking place in 1998. The first online poker room was Planet Poker, launched in 1998. Paradise Poker, was the next major player, launched in 1999 and is still one of the leading online poker rooms today. Paradise Poker, with their ad campaigns, excellent software, and international audience, really took online poker to the next level. In 2001, the other major online poker rooms appeared - PartyPoker, PokerStars, and UltimateBet.

(1) Online Poker: Your Guide to Playing Online Poker Safely & Winning Money - Doyle Brunson