A recent review of the Italian gambling market has revealed a massive growth trend in the area of poker and a client base which will be approaching 5 million by the end of 2008. The country has literally gone poker mad and forecast for beyond 2008 look as though it could well be the next major online poker market in Europe.
A recent survey revealed that there are currently some 670,000 poker players who regularly play online but a substantial 11% of the Italian population (or 4.3 million people) have admitted trying poker at some point. This leaves a large, and growing market, for the Italian online poker companies to attack in the knowledge that the vast majority of them are literally just waiting for the online industry to catch their eye.
Interestingly, the survey also revealed that over 14 million people between the age of 14 and 64 have an interest in poker and would consider playing the game in the short term. However, like so many other countries around the world there is some debate as to whether online poker is legal in Italy or whether the authorities have until now been turning a blind eye. Thankfully, there is also speculation that a formal bill will be added to the statute books in the short term to officially legalise online poker.
Now if the Italian government will just release it’s stranglehold on the gambling industry things would be perfect.