There is a huge difference between poker and casino games. Actually there are many, but there is one that is huge: casino games are basically games of chance, while in poker skill and strategy have a much bigger say than luck. For a long time poker was considered to be a casino game, routinely confounded with royal vegas casino offers, which caused the public to perceive it as a game of chance. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has spent years to have the game be considered a mind sport. It was the first step toward the public changing its perception about this game of skill. But then something happened, something that can cancel all these efforts in the future.
Amaya Gaming, a huge Canadian online and land based gaming company, has paid over $4 billion for the Rational Group, the company that owns the PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker brands. These two are without a doubt the largest poker rooms in the world, with millions of users from all over the globe, present on several national markets and soon to find their way to the United States as well - to the states that decide to regulate online gambling instead of banning it. The acquisition was very important for the company, making it the most important player on the online poker market. And Amaya has decided to make the most of the brands, transforming them from a global poker brand into something to cover all forms of online gambling (except maybe for bingo). It started with the company introducing random number generator casino games to its Full Tilt Poker operation - the same types of games were also introduced to PokerStars later. Then live dealer casino games followed - also at Full Tilt first, with PokerStars coming later. And they have proven to be a success, offering extra winning opportunities to poker players, and extra revenue generation opportunities for the company. So, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker have started transforming into a huge online gambling conglomerate. But wait, there is more: Amaya has announced that it plans to launch the first PokerStars branded sportsbook later this year. With such developments, I expect to see the first PokerStars online bingo hall to be launched by 2016 the latest...
The example is set by Amaya Gaming, and it is followed by other companies as well. NYX Gaming Group - who has bought OnGame, the poker network offloaded by Amaya after the Rational Group acquisition - has already announced that it will introduce casino games to its poker platform. And more companies will surely follow suit, especially if the changed prove to be lucrative. This is how poker rooms, which have spent years differentiating themselves from casinos, will become casinos once again - increasing the public's perception of poker as a mere game of chance.
