Internet gambling, the online poker playing community especially, seems to have remained untouched by today’s economy.  With all the talk of the economy and how terrible it is, I felt compelled to look into this matter further. 

I, for one, am absolutely sick of hearing the phrase, “Well, with the economy the way that it is …”.  This is what people say right before they inform you of some depravity they’ve recently suffered. 

But do you know who’s not saying that phrase?  Online poker players.  At least, I haven’t heard any so I set out on a mission to find out why.

Turns out, it's for numerous reasons.  By the way, the online poker industry: genius. 

For starters, economy is bad which means a great number of Americans have found themselves unemployed.  Unemployed means just that, not of employment.  Many associate it with not having money; this is not necessarily the case.  Many Americans have money to pay for Internet access, own a computer and even have a little money left over.

A little money and a whole lot of time. 

What do Americans love more than money?  Easy money.  These two factors in combination with more Americans getting laid off each day equals an ever-growing community.  A man down on his luck is a man who takes more risks.

Also, many people will continue to be unable to find employment.  There is a large number of people all over the world who play online poker for their sole base of income.  When no one will hire you, people will look into forms of self-employment.

When the economy looks bleak, people tend to spend increasingly more money on their vices.  This plays directly into the next reason.

As more cities pass smoking bans, gamblers will frequent casinos less opting to stay home where they can smoke freely without sitting out of hands. 

A lot of online poker players generally take regular trips out to Vegas or other casino hot spots.  However with the high price of airfare, hotel accommodations and what not, many will stay home to play online.  This is not because they cannot afford to travel, as they will stay home but spend the same grand total.  It is because poker players would rather spend the largest portion on the cards.  And this can only be done at the online sites.

It appears as though the rest of American businesses could stand to learn a few things from the online poker industry.  The community is not going anywhere; in my opinion, it is made up mostly of loyal individuals.

Granted that could be the work of the poker sites; maybe players are only attempting to avoid the dreaded cash-out curse.  If this is the case, again I must say: genius.