Connecticut has made news after being the seventh state in America to legalize online poker. However, things are going slow despite the much-anticipated wait. Online poker operations are expected to go up with time as more poker players in the area join on the fun.
How Slow are Operations?
On February 1, Connecticut introduced other gaming operations as online poker officially started. The state featured sports betting, and several players joined in on the fun. Unlike online poker, sports betting has gained several fans.
As far as online poker goes, a company offering online poker has to partner with either the Mohegan Tribe or the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The two tribes are of Indian roots who have Connecticut as their home.
These two tribes are famous in the casino industry all over Connecticut. The Mohegan Tribe own and run the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe own and run the Foxwood Resort Casino.
These two casino resorts are the major gaming players in the state, and without support from any of them, a company offering online poker has a high likelihood of failing.
Mohegan Sun partnered with FanDuel, and Foxwood partnered with DraftKings to have sports betting up and running. No online poker company has contacted either of the two casino resorts. This is a clear indication that online poker is moving slower than expected.
Why Operations Are Down
The question in most people’s minds is, why hasn’t any poker club, PokerStars, 888Poker, or PartyPoker, contacted either Mohegan Casino Resort or Foxwood Casino Resort?
The answer to this lies in the population base. The area’s population has to be high for online poker to do well, like in the other six states with online poker.
Connecticut is amongst the states with a low population in America. The state has about 3.6 million residents. The number is more significant than in Delaware or Nevada when they opened their doors to online poker.
However, over 20 percent of residents in Connecticut are below 18 years, which is the age for online gaming. With that percentage out of consideration, the state is left with about 2.5 million residents, which make up a good customer base.
With the population issue not cutting it, the other possible explanation why poker is slow in the state would be that the two resort casinos are hesitant.
With the Foxwood Resort and the Mohegan Resort being the only casinos in Connecticut, it is suspected that the residents fear that online poker will disrupt live poker tournaments. However, these claims are weak since past experiences have proven that online poker incentivizes poker players to go to the “brick and mortar” gaming club.
The only conclusion that poker gurus could come to is that online poker centers are not interested in joining the action. Connecticut has a sizable population to make poker clubs make a killing through online poker, but the reward they will pay will be high. For instance, Nevada has almost the same population as Connecticut, but it has to compact Delaware and New Jersey to eke out a 350-player in seven days.
Economic factors are the primary determinant of how online poker will perform in Connecticut. Foxwood Casino resort, Mohegan Casino Resort, and poker clubs have to profit should they partner in this operation. Online poker will remain non-operational in the state until that happens, even after legalization.
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