Poker is
perhaps the most popular card
game in the world. Although
many favorite poker variants
are named after states in the
United States of America (such
as Texas Hold’em and Omaha
High) poker enjoys immense
popularity in the UK and
Europe. The UK and many Euro
countries have legalized
gambling not only at land
based casinos but online
casinos as well. With the
recent global poker boom,
attributed to the internet and
televised poker games, it is
no surprise that the
traditionally American card
game is commanding the
European gambling scene.
At a gambling house in
Europe or the United Kingdom a
gambler will find several
different variants of poker.
Among the most popular poker
games are Texas Hold’em, Seven
Card Stud, Omaha High, Double
Board Hold’em, and Manila. As
a matter of fact, poker has
become so popular in both the
UK and Europe, the World
Series of Poker was forced to
expand overseas in 2007.
Perhaps the world’s most
reputable poker tournament,
the World Series of Poker
began in Las Vegas during the
early 1970s. But at the turn
of the century when online
casinos and televised poker
games brought a new celebrity
status to poker, the game
enjoyed an international boom.
In 2007, the first World
Series of Poker Europe was
held in London England.
Several of the world’s
most popular poker rooms are
actually operated by the
British. The UK really
embraced online casinos and
Internet gambling, becoming
the first major country to
legalize and regulate online
gambling. In the year 2000,
the Betfair Group launched
Betfair Poker. The company
employs over 1,200 people in
both Europe and the UK.
Ladbrokes has been in
operation since the mid 1800s
though not always under the
same name. The Ladbrokes name
appeared in 1902. The company
started out as a bookmaker. In
2000, riding the crest of the
online poker popularity wave,
Ladbrokes introduced Ladbrokes
Poker. The company even
started out with its own
software, but then updated to
the well respected Microgaming
platform.
PartyGaming,
another contribution from the
UK, is one of the oldest
operating poker rooms, going
online in 1997. The
PartyGaming Group became so
successful that in 2005 it
went public and to this day is
listed on the London Stock
Exchange. PartyGaming took a
major blow, losing over half
of its customer base, when the
United States passed the
Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act. In order to
stay on top, PartyGaming was
forced to diversify their
customer base and expand
operations into the growing
Euro and Asian markets.
Poker, a game that finds
its origin on the American
Mississippi River is enjoyed
by and international audience.
The online form of poker has
really been allowed to
flourish in both Europe and
the UK. Maybe the things will
change soon in the United
States and the latest version
of the game can return from
exile.
