Do you think poker will continue to grow or has it reached its peak?

From when I started until today, a lot has evolved, I believe that many changes could happen.

thedarkman said:

Wait until there is another Black Friday like a decade and more ago then ask that question again.

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Always looking at things with optimism

Ccurrently I think any growth in online poker is coming from East Asia and mostly on GGPoker. I was hoping wptGlobal was going to add to this, as far as competition and an increase in player pool size but this site seems to be diminishing rapidly

For a BOOM anything like the one in 2005 - 2009 (those were the days my friend!), the U.S.A. would need to be allowed to play vs. Rest of World sites on all platforms. Can you imagine if USA players were allowed to play on Pokerstars, Partypoker, GGPoker, 888Poker, etc. with ALL of the players from around the World? Not only would it be a huge increase of players with the US players themselves but also the huge number of players from other countries who would also start playing (and begin playing 'again') once they were aware that the USA players were in the games. Fish attracts sharks.... which attracts more fish... which also brings Whales! It could be amazing!

Maybe the orange turd could get this happening? (it'd be the ONLY thing that could have me change my mind about that goof). He could put a small tax on deposits and another on Withdrawals. In turn, Live venues would also increase exponentially!

I need to grow more, but I think there are too many distractions

Knockout tournaments are fun but confusing. How do you know when it’s worth chasing a bounty?

I believe poker still has room to grow, especially with the rise of Apps and live streaming.

Honestly, if you look at the numbers, poker is far from its peak.it’s actually entering a massive second boom. We’re seeing the global market projected to hit over $120 billion by the end of 2026. While the 'Moneymaker' days of the early 2000s felt like a lightning strike, what’s happening now is a more sustainable, tech-driven expansion

lapgame said:

I've seen a lot of people commenting that poker is growing again, with more people playing online, new streamers emerging, and even more popular live events.

But I also see those who say that the “poker boom” has passed, and that today it is more difficult to win because of the level of the players.

What do you think: does poker still have room to grow more or are we already at a point of stability? And what could make the game explode again?

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My Take, Poker isn’t dying It’s professionalizing.

We’re likely in a stable growth phase, not a boom.

I think poker still has room to grow — just in a different way than the old “poker boom.”
Online poker is actually expanding again. The global online poker market was worth around $5.3B in 2024 and is projected to reach about $11.4B by 2030, showing strong growth

At the same time, the player pool is tougher because of solvers, training content, and better strategy knowledge.

But new streamers, live events, and online series keep bringing fresh players into the game.

So I’d say poker isn’t at its peak — it’s evolving. A new “boom” would likely come from streaming, mobile apps, or a big mainstream media moment again.

anbu210 said:

I think poker still has room to grow — just in a different way than the old “poker boom.”
Online poker is actually expanding again. The global online poker market was worth around $5.3B in 2024 and is projected to reach about $11.4B by 2030, showing strong growth

At the same time, the player pool is tougher because of solvers, training content, and better strategy knowledge.

But new streamers, live events, and online series keep bringing fresh players into the game.

So I’d say poker isn’t at its peak — it’s evolving. A new “boom” would likely come from streaming, mobile apps, or a big mainstream media moment again.

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My friend, if I were you, I wouldn't be so brave as to try and predict the future, not even a year from now. This new world of AI makes one year feel like the 30 years we're used to.

I believe in a very high crescent!

It is true that online poker is booming, but this is only temporary; in a few years it will stop being so, since very few young people know how to play poker. For some reason, it stopped being a traditional game.

lapgame said:

I've seen a lot of people commenting that poker is growing again, with more people playing online, new streamers emerging, and even more popular live events.

But I also see those who say that the “poker boom” has passed, and that today it is more difficult to win because of the level of the players.

What do you think: does poker still have room to grow more or are we already at a point of stability? And what could make the game explode again?

Click to expand...

I think poker is still growing, but in a different way than during the original boom. The early 2000s boom was driven by TV and new online platforms, while today the growth seems to come more from streaming, mobile apps, and large online tournaments.





Online poker still has over 100 million players worldwide, and the market is expected to keep expanding in the coming years.





At the same time, I agree that the average skill level is much higher now, which makes the games tougher. So the game is probably still growing, but it’s also becoming more competitive than before.

I think the growth of poker, depending on the global economic situation, may grow or fall.

I think the trend is only going to grow more and more every day

Poker doesn’t appear to have peaked yet—recent industry numbers actually point to steady, global expansion.
Online poker traffic grew across all major networks in 2025, with regions like APAC projected to sustain over 11% annual growth through 2030 .
Market forecasts also show the online poker sector rising from USD 3.86 billion in 2024 to USD 6.90 billion by 2030, driven by a CAGR of 10.2% .
Some broader market analyses even project more aggressive growth, with estimates of the global online poker market reaching USD 415.74 billion by 2034 at a 14% CAGR .
With expanding player pools in regions like Brazil and North America, plus increasing mobile adoption, the momentum suggests poker is still climbing rather than plateauing.
Overall, the data points to a market that’s maturing but far from finished growing.

Sources :

WPT Global

Grand View Research

Zion Market Research

The days of Moneymaker are long gone,with government regulation they have really screwed up online poker,used to be so much fun playing against anyone and everyone,dont think those times are ever coming back,just to many really stupid people in charge

I think poker will continue to grow, but probably not at the explosive pace it had during the early 2000s poker boom. The player pool today is more skilled and the game is more competitive, so the “easy money” era is definitely over.

That said, online platforms, mobile apps, and global accessibility make it easier than ever for new players to start learning and playing. Big tournaments and streaming content continue to attract attention, keeping the game alive and evolving.

I see growth more in terms of quality, strategy, and accessibility rather than a massive increase in casual players. The game will probably continue expanding in regions and online formats where poker isn’t as saturated yet, so there’s still room for the community and industry to grow.

I don’t think poker has peaked yet, but the growth is different now.
Online poker is still expanding globally!