The current Coronavirus pandemic has had a profound effect on the world’s gambling market. Land based casino are shuttered while country after country locks down its residents until they have the virus under control. No one knows for sure what that’s going to take or how long quarantines are going to remain in place.

Sports gamblers, online and otherwise, are also feeling the pinch. With every major sports league currently on a forced sabbatical, there’s simply nothing on which sport gamblers can wager. Again, it’s not clear how long these sabbaticals will remain enforce.

That leaves dedicated gamblers with two options: online casinos and online poker. If should come as no surprise that both online casino and poker websites are seeing a major increase in participation and new registrations. For true gambling enthusiasts, the only game in town is better than no game at all.

For people who are interested in online casino gambling, it’s noteworthy that online casino operators are now taking a responsible view of its services. Many of the UK’s top online are now registered with the Gamstop online self-exclusion registry. FYI: casinos not registered here may soon be required to do so by the UK Gambling Commission.

While online casino gambling operators are gaining market share, it’s the resurgence of the online poker industry that’s catching the eye of gambling market experts.

Prior to the implementation of lockdown throughout the world, experts estimated that 40 million people (around 6.8 percent of the total adult population) played online poker regularly. Since news of the virus spreading came to light, that number has been increasing on a daily basis.

Currently, industry experts report that the number of regular online poker participants has increased by 43% since the beginning of March. Furthermore, they estimate that the number of new online poker players has increased by 255% in that same timeframe. Clearly, people who are stuck at home are looking for new forms of online entertainment.

In response to this need for online entertainment, leading online poker room, Global Poker has decided to offer online pokers players a unique opportunity to participate in their “The Global Poker Home Series”. The series, which has been dubbed “the world’s biggest home game,” was officially launched on March 30. This massive poker tournament is scheduled to run four weeks with guarantees that include Sweeps Cash (SC) of over $2,000,000. That includes an SC $500,000 guarantee on the final table. In addition to these prize funds, Global Poker is also offering poker players other chances to win cash prizes and more.

According to Global Poker General Manager David Lyons (in a press release): “As long as thrill-seekers are staying at home, Global Poker will give them the chance to find adventure excitement and camaraderie through online poker.”

It’s this kind of creativity that’s going to help gambling enthusiasts get through these trying times. Anything online gambling operators can offer to take the edge off will surely be remembered when the lockdowns become a part of history. This could be the online poker industry’s opportunity to regain the glory it found after the turn of the century. For now, access to online poker is the only game in town for gamblers who don’t enjoy video slots.