Poker may continue to become a heavy favorite among bettors in land-based locations, but reports in the recent months showed a downward trend in the online poker market in the global scale.

Figures collected in mid-2014 reflected the continual plunge of the real-money online poker sites’ traffic, liquidity, and active accounts, which was not only the case in Europe, but also in other jurisdictions.

ARJEL President Charles Coppolani was even quoted in an interview, saying that online poker in France is dead. The head of the French online gambling regulator also cited other reasons that are responsible for the end of what seems to be once a fad in the country.

Meanwhile, US states where online gambling is legal—namely, Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware—registered a bittersweet story as poker players switched to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker (WSOP), leaving Delaware’s online poker market with revenue that is 55 percent lower in June.

Nevertheless, the legal markets in the US may have found a solution to maintain or improve the status of online poker, at least within the three states, by allowing interstate tournaments.

With the global online poker market in peril of losing its stellar appeal, a niche market powered by Bitcoin remains to be striving, if not propelling more buzz in the world of online poker gambling.

More offshore Bitcoin poker platforms are finding success in the industry as new brands are launched to further address the growing demand. Joining the established names in Bitcoin poker like SealsWithClubs and Betcoin Poker are the fresh websites that are filled with potential to provide a different level of online poker betting.

Bitcoin sports betting site Nitrogen Sports has already announced the addition of poker in the list of services it offers. Cruel Poker, which was released halfway through 2014, takes pride in offering Chinese poker game variants while the Bitcoin gambling community still awaits the resurrection of BurnTurn Poker. Building on the technology started by the defunct SatoshiPoker, BurnTurn promises to unleash a new kind of online poker experience, joining the list of other Bitcoin poker sites like BCPoker online.

Moreover, all eyes are on the debut of Breakout Gaming in the Bitcoin gambling arena. Backed by Johnny Chan and a list of other pro poker players, Breakout Gaming is gunning for an innovative take on Bitcoin poker via its exclusive BRO coin.

Likewise, the new BetVIP Poker site is something to watch out for, along with the revamped Crypto Poker incentives.

Although the Bitcoin gambling sector is still yet to go into the mainstream, many jurisdictions are not against it or at least have placed it in the gray area where its legality is either proven or debunked. While others find indulgence in playing with Bitcoin risky, the ever-expanding market for casino players, sports bettors, and poker gamblers are enough evidence for this kind of online gambling to prosper in the years to come. Even more so is the potential for Bitcoin poker to be the saving grace or the last stand of online poker.

Check out the Bitcoin poker review of the poker rooms to explore what they offer.