Unibet Poker Sees Revenues Slip

Unibet’s poker revenues fell 41% to £6.97 million in the first half of fiscal 2011 from £11.8 million in the first half of last year, with much of the loss a result of Unibet’s withdrawal from the now regulated French market.

In the second quarter of 2011 gross poker revenue was £2.99 million, which represents a drop of 36% from the £4.7 million reported a year earlier.

The company said in a statement: “During the second quarter of 2011 the rationalisations of bonus spends and focus towards the casual player continued. The now famous ‘Black Friday’ prompted additional promotional activity and a temporary increase in marketing spend within the whole poker network aimed at capturing additional market share. However, poker has remained a difficult market with little sign yet of any significant impact from the closure of some US-facing competitors.”