One of the worldâs largest poker networks has said its players currently prefer bitcoin to fiat money for payouts.
Winning Poker Network, which operates a number of online poker sites, said it has been forced to buy millions in bitcoin a day to meet the demands of exiting players.
As reported by Bloomberg on Thursday, 90%â95% of Winning Pokerâs payouts are in bitcoin because of the recent price rise, said the companyâs CEO, Phil Nagy. âWe are constantly having to go out and buy bitcoin, lots. Lots. More than weâve even had to before.âÂ
See also: Bitcoin Options Investors Are Starting to Hedge Against Potential Price Pullback
According to Nagy, the business is clocking over 60% of its transaction volume in bitcoin, roughly $100 million a month. Geographically, the majority of the bitcoin demand derives from the U.S., despite online poker being illegal in most states.
So far this year, bitcoinâs price has risen 155%, buoyed by bullish cryptocurrency fundamentals, inflation of fiat currencies and the global coronavirus pandemic.
Nagy noted his company doesnât hold bitcoin, instead preferring to convert to fiat without delay due to the digital assetâs volatility. However, he also said that when bitcoin is down, players will pay with the cryptocurrency as a way to liquidate quickly, meaning his company has been âkind of stuck with it.â