Market analyst Mintel recently conducted a survey, which shows that only 23 percent of a group of 3,822 Internet players have tried online poker. According to Mintel, one of the reasons that explain the low percentage is the fact that many players do not feel qualified enough to play for real money on the net.

Among those punters that said to have tried online poker, only 7 percent plays daily and 14 percent at least once a week, but most of them take part in poker games only occasionally. These figures are quite shocking considering the rising popularity of both the game and online gaming.

“The popularity of poker has soared in recent years as the game undoubtedly has an element of cool lacking from many other forms of gambling,” Matt King, Mintel’s senior leisure analyst, explained. “The growing television coverage has also played a key role.”

Mintel’s report concludes that the Gambling Act 2005 benefited the poker industry by allowing casinos and online gambling sites to advertise in the United Kingdom and permitting pubs to offer poker games.