Poker's
Lucky Streak Seen Fading
As reported by Reuters: "The
worldwide poker industry appears to have hit
every possible inside straight, flush and full
house that it could accumulating a large pot
of cash in the process.
"But
as this holiday season nears an end, the industry's
luck seems to be running out as boxed sets of
cards and chips are discounted, ratings fade
for some poker-themed television shows and shares
of a poker-linked stock slump.
"From
televised celebrity poker tournaments to Internet
gambling sites, to thronging tables at Las Vegas
casinos and even a weekly column in The New
York Times, poker remains an obsession.
"Yet
there are signs interest is waning among some
of the demographic groups who fueled the craze.
"...Ratings
for poker shows and tournaments, which mainstream
sports networks like ESPN rushed to televise
in recent years, are no longer growing as fast.
"...Some
investors who rushed to capitalize on the poker
craze have gotten burned.
"...Unlike
England, where several online gaming stocks
are listed, poker has not blossomed as an area
for investors in the United States, where Internet
gambling remains illegal..."
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