The online poker software provider, Merge Gaming Network, is all set to accept US players once again. Although, official announcements have not yet been made by the company, some of its member sites have already started bringing in new players. Carbon Poker is one among them. Early this year, Merge Gaming Network stopped accepting players from the US after the Black Friday incident, which shook the industry.
The Black Friday Incident and the Void in Online Poker
In June 2011, charges were brought against some of the prominent poker rooms of the industry for carrying out gambling activities illegally in the US. Of them, the license of one was suspended and finally revoked. Fearing such actions, some poker rooms left the US market. Merge Gaming Network too stopped accepting new American players; although, its virtual tables were made accessible to existing players.
Merge Gaming Network’s Player Traffic Shoot Up with Elimination of Big Players
With the big players in the industry being eliminated, Merge Gaming Network saw a significant rise in the number of players. In the cash game section, player traffic rose by 79%. The news was a great source of excitement for the members of Merge Gaming Network. However, it created a big problem for the payment processors of its individual sites.
The company faced a backlog of payout requests after it stopped accepting American players. Although, the ban on US gamblers was a temporary move on the part of Merge Gaming Network, no specific duration was mentioned by the company for the ‘freeze out’.
Attempts by Merge to Reopen in the US
There were quite a few rumors this summer regarding Merge Gaming Network’s attempts to reopen in the US. In the middle of July, it was brought to attention that the company will remove its ban on accepting new US players by the month end. However, it didn’t happen. Reports also came in the middle of August that the network may reopen in the US within a week or two. This too did not turn out as planned.
Once again, Merge Gaming Network is open to operating in the US. Players will soon be able to be a part of the gaming network. In terms of player traffic, the network currently holds the 12th rank in the online poker industry. With new players coming in, Merge Gaming Network will be easily able to move ahead of its competitors.
Related posts:
