Head of Ultimate Poker Blames Regulations for Slow Growth
Slightly over a year ago, Ultimate Poker became the first regulated gambling site in the country. The state's online gaming market has grown more slowly than analysts originally forecast. Tom Breitling, one of the founders of Ultimate Gaming, recently blamed excessive government regulations for the problems.
Breitling said that government regulations require consumers to make unnecessary clicks and requests for information for consumers trying to use online gaming sites. He said that each of these clicks reduces conversion rates by 10-20%. Breitling also stated that customers didn't have to go through the same red tape when using unregulated gaming sites. He feels that the regulations are damaging the customer experience and deterring players from using the state's regulated sites.
He feels that the Nevada Gaming Commission should relax these regulations to help stimulate the market. Breitling argued that it is ridiculous that the government requires people to provide the same amount of information that they would need to finance a mortgage.
David Huber from pokerfuse argued that Breitling's statements were very one-sided. Huber pointed out that online gambling regulations offer important benefits as well, such as preventing fraud and keeping minors from accessing online gaming sites. Breitling failed to acknowledge these facts when attacking requirements for geolocation technology and social security number verification.
Breitling's arguments could also be an attempt to avoid taking responsibility for his company's inability to offer a quality user experience. The company is one of a number of gaming providers in New Jersey.
Ultimate Poker is trailing the market and lost nearly 40% of their market share last month. Its competitors are still faring well and some of them expect to break even by the end of the year. Huber and other critics suggest that Ultimate Poker may need to come to terms with its own shortcomings rather than blaming regulations for the problems it faces.