Web traffic to online gambling sites skyrockets

Online gambling was the fastest growing category of web activity during the month of September. Analysts at comScore Media Metrix, an Internet audience measurement service, attributed the spike to the kickoff of the NFL season and sports fans placing football bets.

Online gambling sites received 9.7 million visitors, comScore analysts reported. That’s far fewer than the 82 million who logged onto education sites or the 35 million who browsed news sites, but it accounts for a 13 percent increase from the previous month, a bigger jump than in any other category.

PokerStars ranked first among the pack with 1.1 million visitors (an 11 percent increase), followed by UPickEm.net with 993,000 visitors (a 36 percent increase), FullTiltPoker with 753,000 visitors, SimSlots Inc. with 655,000 visitors (a 5 percent increase) and Wooga.com with 520,000 visitors (an 85 percent increase).

The increase in traffic bodes well for Las Vegas companies trying to capitalize on web gambling. Several companies, most recently South Point, are laying the groundwork and developing business models so they’ll be ready when online poker is legalized.

ComScore also reported that websites focused on education and politics gained traffic boosts in September. Analysts attributed that jump to students’ return to school and President Obama’s jobs plan announcement.

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