Zynga Poker falls as Social Online Casino Games rise

While the large majority of the online casino market still centers on real money games, there’s a sizable portion of people who also like social online gaming. And a recent study suggests that a significant number of social gamers are gravitating away from the once-popular poker and to online casino games instead. Additionally, many players are getting up from their PCs and playing through mobile devices.

This study comes from SuperData Research, which has been studying trends in social gaming. One big finding they produced is that social poker revenue has dropped from $203 million in 2013 to $179 million in 2015. This fall is expected to continue in 2017, at which point social poker sites will collectively make $156 million.

“ numbers are dropping more sharply than revenue, as the market matures and fickle players fall by the wayside,” a report from May 2015 reads. “More casual poker players now gravitate toward poker games included in casino-style apps like DoubleDown Casino. … Changes in the overall social market are largely due to Zynga Poker’s fluctuating revenue and falling player base.”

As Venture Beat reports, Zynga Poker commanded 61 percent of the social poker market in 2014, however, they are now seeing inconsistent revenue due to their wildly fluctuating customer base. This was noted by senior analyst Stephanie Lllamas, who believes that the volume of Zynga players has dropped in recent years.

“Because of Zynga Poker’s overwhelming command over social poker, their performance has been reflected in the overall market,” said Lllamas. “Their poker game has largely been fueled by the volume of its s, since average spending is low for this type of game. So we are seeing casual poker players move on to casino-style apps causing a deflation in poker figures.”

Zynga saw a 44 percent drop in their player base last year, and they are now in danger of being ed by the World Series of Poker app being offered by Caesars. So SuperData Research contends that Zynga will need to convert to offering more than just poker if they want to gain back any social gaming market share.

“With Zynga Poker, the company can cater to the desires of poker enthusiasts who prefer the experience of a standalone poker app,” SuperData Research writes. “Meanwhile, casual poker players are drawn to casino-style apps that include poker alongside other games like slots and blackjack.”

The entire online gaming industry is undergoing changes as it seeks to keep up with younger generations. And it appears that Zynga specifically has some work to do in this regard.