Recently the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas announced that, as a part of their renovations that will take place this year, they would close their eight-table poker room and would not bring it back once the renovations were complete. The Monte Carlo, not necessarily known as a hot spot for poker, isn’t the first to close their room in Sin City, nor are they the first to close in Nevada. But it does lead one to ask the question: is the decline in Nevada poker rooms indicative of the “end” for poker?
To start with, let’s put to rest the “end of poker” talk. Poker has been played since the 1830s in the United States and versions of the game date back to the 17th century, so to say the closure of a few tables in one city in the vastness of the world is bringing about the downfall of the game is ridiculous. What is problematic is that, from the numbers that are readily available, there has been a slowdown in the game. In looking at the numbers, however, it is in much better shape than it was just a couple of decades ago.
Per information from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the Las Vegas Strip has seen a huge fluctuation in the past 15 years. In 2002, there were 144 tables in the casinos on the Strip that generated revenues of around $30 million. Of course, that was before the “online boom” that spurred the live version of the game into the stratosphere. Just five short years later, the Strip played host to 405 tables and nearly hit the $100 million mark in revenues – and this was after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 was passed, which had an impact on bringing new online players into the live arena. That, along with other issues, has seen the Strip singularly and Nevada as a whole declining.
In the decade since, the NGCB counts a total of 320 tables in Las Vegas in 2016, bringing revenues of around $78 million. This decade decline is also seen in looking at the Silver State overall, which hit its peak in 2007 when it had 907 tables and racked up revenues of $168 million. Fast forward to 2016 and the story statewide mirrors what is going on in Las Vegas; there are now 661 poker tables in Nevada, bringing in revenues of $118 million. The percentages – a 28% decline in the number of statewide poker tables and 21% in Vegas alone – don’t lie in that poker isn’t as popular as it once was.
What also isn’t indicated is that, compared to the start of the century, the game’s health is still quite robust. Increasing by 281% in the number of poker tables between 2002 and 2007 made for a market that was due for a correction at any time. Las Vegas alone would be logical for a correction as some casinos become more known for their poker offerings (the Bellagio, Wynn, MGM, Mirage, and the off-Strip Rio are some of the top poker rooms in the world, let alone Las Vegas) while others attempt to find their niche in the market.
Furthermore, the expansion of the game across the States of America and around the planet have staked poker firmly in the psyche of the world’s denizens. California card rooms continue to thrive, with the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles recognized as the largest card room with roughly 250 poker tables in use. With other popular rooms such as the Bicycle Casino, Bay 101, Thunder Valley, the Hustler Casino and others located around the state and on Indian reservations, it is estimated that there is well over 1000 poker tables in use in the California system.
A decade ago, there was no poker at all in the state of Florida and the same could be said for Pennsylvania, Maryland, and other states. All of these locales now feature poker – and some of the biggest tournaments in the world – which poker players can ply their trade. And if the States of America is too boring for you, Canada’s poker footprint has increased significantly over the past decade, as has the European theater (just look at the United Kingdom and Rozvodov, Czech Republic, among others, for the growth).
To paraphrase writer Mark Twain, the reports of poker’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Is it the same as it was in the mid-2000s? No, it isn’t close. But it is still a thriving game with a strong community and, as such, it will be able to withstand the rigors of time.
