Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

How huge is this for poker in the US?


The Associated Press November 14, 2007, 8:28PM ET

Harrah's mulls online poker site in UK


Casino giant Harrah's Entertainment Inc.'s chief executive said Wednesday he's looking at taking the World Series of Poker brand into the realm of Internet poker in the U.K. and continental Europe.

Gary Loveman made the comment at the Global Gaming Expo, the largest trade show of the year for the North American casino industry.

Banks and payment processors are prohibited from handling cash transactions from U.S.-based players to and from online poker sites under legislation President Bush signed into law last year. But Internet gambling businesses are treated differently around the world.

"If you take a look at the legal landscape in continental Europe and the United Kingdom, there are countries where it's demonstrably legal and there's absolutely no encumbrance," Loveman said. "Those are areas that are very attractive to us."

Tournament spokesman Gary Thompson said Harrah's is studying the market and legal conditions before deciding whether to continue. It would not enter the online poker market "where there are any gray areas," he said.

Harrah's bought the rights to the World Series of Poker in 2004, and it is the game's pinnacle event of the year. But attendance this year was hurt because many online poker sites didn't give out prize packages to U.S. residents awarding them seats in the main event that cost $10,000 each.

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

i wouldnt call it HUGE! until this happens in US...but it is still very good

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

LOL...Loveman

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

It would give players in Europe a chance to win seats online.
The smaller events last yr were off the hook. Imagine if a player could win seats to the horse and other championship events online.
I'd call it huge!

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

[ QUOTE ]
It would give players in Europe a chance to win seats online.
The smaller events last yr were off the hook. Imagine if a player could win seats to the horse and other championship events online.
I'd call it huge!

[/ QUOTE ]

i was under the impression europeans could do this on other sites already

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

Wow European players are only limited to Stars, Full Tilt, Ladbrokes, Befair, Crypto, Ipoker etc etc etc etc

or is this just basicly a soft launch because they believe that the US law will change and they want to inflict crap software on the rest of the world - then have it fixed by the time US regulators see sense and then be 6 months ahead of all the other casino groups that try and catch up.

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

[ QUOTE ]
LOL...Loveman

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

i wonder if Harrahs could set this up as a loophole for US players. Call it funding your Harrahs B&M account but allow remote play from your home haha. we can dream cant we

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

These Harrah's guys really are on the ball, aren't they? Online poker has been up and running at full steam for years, and they've finally decided to "study the market."

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

[ QUOTE ]
These Harrah's guys really are on the ball, aren't they? Online poker has been up and running at full steam for years, and they've finally decided to "study the market."

[/ QUOTE ]

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Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Wow European players are only limited to Stars, Full Tilt, Ladbrokes, Befair, Crypto, Ipoker etc etc etc etc

or is this just basicly a soft launch because they believe that the US law will change and they want to inflict crap software on the rest of the world - then have it fixed by the time US regulators see sense and then be 6 months ahead of all the other casino groups that try and catch up.

[/ QUOTE ]

If that is the case, then Harrahs' competitors will just buy Full Tilt or Stars and instantly be 5 years ahead of Harrah's.

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

This may not be big for poker in the US, but it may be big for the WSOP. Do not forget that last year Harrahs did not allow third party entries, so a lot of people just took their $10K in cash rather than playing the Main Event

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

[ QUOTE ]
This may not be big for poker in the US, but it may be big for the WSOP. Do not forget that last year Harrahs did not allow third party entries, so a lot of people just took their $10K in cash rather than playing the Main Event

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't see that changing as long as the UIGEA remains in effect. But imagine that Harrah's takes money from their online site on behalf of players that win a seat there. I would imagine that Harrah's will have lawsuits filed against them alleging unfair business practices like European companies did against Microsoft.

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

They are planning on being in the U.S. online poker market soon.

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

Wow that is awesome

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

Will they not just buy Party Poker to do this.

Outside of the US dont hink Harrahs is that big a name to the average punter on the street.

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

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i wouldnt call it HUGE! until this happens in US...but it is still very good

[/ QUOTE ]

What are you talking about its HUGE just because its in the early stages, what? like this isnt going to happen?

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

Does this mean that Harrah's is going to allow 3rd party registrations to the WSOP again? If not, it will have limited impact.

Re: Harrah\'s Online Poker=Huge WSOP!
 

[ QUOTE ]
This may not be big for poker in the US, but it may be big for the WSOP. Do not forget that last year Harrahs did not allow third party entries, so a lot of people just took their $10K in cash rather than playing the Main Event

[/ QUOTE ]

Harrah's did take 3rd party registrations from sites that excluded US players. Their policy only excluded sites that allowed US players.