Learn, Chat & Pray for the Pros: Doom of the WPT

[Skallagrim]

Yawn.... Poker and gambling shows are quite popular at the moment, and the WPT is still the highest rated ... the tournies pay for themselves, and the production cost is less than the revenue - so even if overextension into other things kills the parent company, the WPT can be sold independantly and will continue.

[olivert]

WPTE is betting its entire future on being able to obtain monopoly online gaming licenses in markets in Asia, with "Greater China" being THE PRIZE that WPTE absolutely wants and has to have in order for the company to grow.

Look for the first WPT event in "China", at the MGM Grand Macau, to take place sometime in 2008 and/or 2009.

[suzzer99]

Does anyone in China even play poker? I keep hearing "China" as a cure for poker, and it reminds of the dotcom days when eyeballs where somehow going to = profit, only no one really knew how. Aren't 99.5% of all Chinese still farm peasants or subsistence laborers - with any spare income they might have going towards elementary school books and cigarettes?

[Richas]

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone in China even play poker? I keep hearing "China" as a cure for poker, and it reminds of the dotcom days when eyeballs where somehow going to = profit, only no one really knew how. Aren't 99.5% of all Chinese still farm peasants or subsistence laborers - with any spare income they might have going towards elementary school books and cigarettes?

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/16583805
German luxury carmaker BMW said Friday it sold 51.3% more cars in mainland China in 2006 compared with a year earlier.
Total sales came to 36,357 cars, up from 24,025 in 2005, it said in a statement. Sales of BMW brands rose 49.6% to 35,300 units, with Minis up 145.8% to 1,057 units.

http://www.bmwcca.org/node/6479

For the second year, BMW Group topped 300,000 sales in the U.S., finishing 2006 with both a record year for sales and a record-setting month. December sales of 33,417, the group’s first-ever month above 30,000, pushed BMW Group (actually, BMW plus Mini but not Rolls-Royce, whose sales trickle in more slowly) to 313,603 for 2006,

China may be only 10% of the US for BMW sales but they aren't all peasants and with growth of 51% you can see why many are keen.

PS many Chinese are entusiastic gamblers.

[Zele]

FWIW, in 2006 Macau earned more gambling revenue than Vegas, with only half the visitors.