Full Tilt Poker was entirely shut down on June 29th, when the AGCC (Alderney Gambling Control Commission) suspended its operating license. Players had to find a new place to play, this is shown by the latest traffic reports: PartyPoker‘s traffic increased by 35%, Cake Poker‘s by 40%.
Such changes in the traffic leaderboard have only happened when the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) was introduced in 2006. According to the latest report published by PokerScout.com, since June 29th, many drastic and notable changes went through. Full Tilt Poker‘s biggest competitor, PokerStars registered +3,382 players, which is a 17% traffic boost. But nearly all other rooms and networks profited from the Full Tilt‘s downfall. PartyPoker, now the second biggest poker site after the PokerStars boasts +1,246 new players, constituting a 35% growth in just two weeks.
The smaller networks and rooms have benefited as well:
- Everest Poker +46%
- Cake Poker Network +40%
- iPoker Network +24%
- Microgaming Network: +20%
- International Poker Network (IPN): +14%
According to the report, Full Tilt Poker lost 9,300 players, other sites registered a total of 5,000, which is a 54% recovery.
The overall trafic grew by 3,4% last week, which might be due to the fact that players began returning home from the World Series of Poker and got back online. All in all, it is an interesting situation, and what will be even more interesting is whether Full Tilt Poker will be able to resurrect itself when (if ever) they get their license back.