Online poker isn't exactly where it was a decade ago. The number of sites has decreased, and traffic has gradually decreased. But does this imply that the popularity of poker games online would decline over time? 

Not quite!

If the appropriate circumstances arise, the business might begin to expand once more. The only issue is that the game now has some problems that must be addressed. 

5 Major Issues that Need to be Addressed in Online Poker

Bots

Programs called "bots" were formerly seen as a novelty in the sport. They could play poker all the time but frequently fell short of winning.

But at present, these programs have improved their processing capabilities. To see what artificial intelligence is capable of, all we have to do is think back to when Libratus smashed a team of top-tier poker players.

Although most bots are still not as advanced as Libratus, they are still effective enough to defeat low- and mid-stakes games. That said, online poker clubs must keep an eye out for unusual playing trends and root out any bots in the game.

Nobody wants to play free online poker on a site with many bots. Therefore, reducing this is necessary for the future of online poker. There are some sites that are addressing it through the use of software so it is expected that other online tournaments will follow suit. 

Regulation

In the past, unregulated sites catered to players from all over the world. However, governments finally decided to do something rather than just watch potential tax revenue disappear to Caribbean-based websites.

Online gambling is currently regulated in several nations, including the UK, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. These countries have legalized online poker on a national level.

Regulating player pools is, regrettably, dividing them up globally. 

The majority of the same countries where online poker is permitted have ring-fenced their player pools. Because of these closed marketplaces, fewer people are participating in the same pool, which reduces the number of tournaments and cash games.

Other nations have minimal regulation in some states. In the US, for instance, only Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania allow online poker. The market in the latter state hasn't even opened yet.

Some players are using VPN to bypass the regulations in their own country so we might see more of them using this software in a poker game. 

Rewards Aren't as Good

In the past, online poker had a considerably larger focus on rewards. When they received large amounts of their rake back, players were thrilled by the sites' regular offers of 30 percent or better rakeback rates.

Unfortunately, poker bonuses have decreased over the past few years. Some of these were expected since the business was choking itself off in its error to provide better rakeback.

However, the fact that online poker traffic is declining yearly is a significant factor in the lower prices. Poker companies cannot afford to offer players significant deals when they do not see the profit in it. 

The first three issues raised in this post need to be addressed by poker somehow. If traffic starts to pick up again, websites will feel more pressure to provide better incentives.

Once online poker can get back their audience and more people shift to playing online due to the advancement of technology, then we can see more businesses increasing their prizes again. And this will attract more people to play poker because they can see the benefits.

Liquidity 

Online poker has less liquidity than ever because of strict regulations (which we have also stated as a major concern).

Large high-stakes games and frequently occurring massive tournaments are a thing of the past because of the growing number of ring-fenced marketplaces that have isolated poker.

Some tournaments continue to draw a sizable player base and have millions of dollars of prize pools. However, these significant events are becoming less frequent all around.

There used to be more renowned high-stakes cash games available in online poker. Players like Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Patrik Antonius, and Viktor "Isildur1" Blom would compete for pots that occasionally reached the six-figure mark.

These contests are a thing of the past in part due to the decline of the poker. The nosebleeds, however, have no chance of returning when multiple nations with populations ranging from 5 to 10 million have ring-fenced poker markets.

Overall, regulations still have some positive development for poker. After all, markets for legal online poker are free to promote to general adult audiences. 

Competition Has Increased

In the days before Black Friday, games were significantly softer. But because fewer casual players and more strategic resources are available than ever, the competitiveness has increased.

Even the typical casual player spends a lot of time reading strategy papers, watching Twitch streams, and joining training websites. Now, thanks to the availability of this widely used approach, more players are skilled at the game.

Of course, we cannot prevent the ordinary poker player from improving. Over time, players have improved the game's overall skill level by exchanging strategies.

However, the industry still faces difficulties due to increased competition. Recreational gamers are less likely to remain with a game that is challenging to win.

Poker sites introduced anonymous rooms and banned seat scripting to address this problem. Both of these actions aid in keeping players from pursuing fish who are prey. These actions might help level the playing field and increase the comfort level of recreational players.

Conclusion

There will always be a room for growth and expansion as long as people are playing. Some issues are being addressed by players and changes are being implemented so that online poker will still thrive for years to come. 

The online poker community is monitoring the revival of the game and they are getting all the support and love that they need from the players themselves. 

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