WPT Responds to Players' Lawsuit

[Kevmath]

Details found at http://img.worldpokertour.com/media/article/214.pdf

[KneeCo]

Interesting stuff, the bottom of p. 4 (line 22) through the beginning of p. 5 is what really makes me nervous about the suit. Is it really relevant to the issue at hand? I don't think so (I'm no expert though), but it will be brought up again and again by the WPT which won't be in the best interest of online poker.

Nevertheless, I still agree with Raymer and co. on this one, and the statement does nothing to change my mind.

A lot of what the WPT brings up is totally off topic, and their definition of "competition" in the market place is weak (for instance, I don't believe WPT can honestly list 'Celebrity Poker Showdown' and others as an alternative "high stakes professional poker tournament [...] available for poker players to compete in").

So yea, still with 'the players' on this one and wish them the best of luck, though I do fear that the suit might have a negative impact on the game.

[DeeMo]

I agree with DN to the extent that poker players should be concerned about online poker sites being portrayed in a negative fashion. No one is going to deny that online poker (which I play occasionally) is great for live play (which I play frequently) in that it brings newbies to the game.

That being said...this is the part that made me say, "Yikes!"

"For example, Full Tilt Poker, a website started by Plaintiffs Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer and with which at least two other Plaintiffs are affiliated, already competes unfairly against WPTE by using the tremendous revenues it obtains from promoting online gambling in the United States and accepting online bets from persons located in the United States – activities declared by the US Department of Justice as illegal under existing law – to subsidize the poker programming it offers television networks. WPTE, on the other hand, complies with the letter and spirit of the law as currently interpreted by the DOJ and employs numerous safeguards to ensure no one in the United States can place a bet on its online poker website, leaving websites like Full Tilt Poker (and its owners Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer) to reap these illicit profits."

[CaryDarling]

So, is the WPT gonna leave us poker players hanging out to dry on the online issue with that statement?

[Jooka]

take this with a large grain of salt:

http://pokerati.com/2006/08/23/the-monopoly-of-poker/

[ QUOTE ]
The Monopoly of Poker?

read more: Harrahs

From our crack rumor-ati department …

A disgruntled dealer reports new buzz that Harrah’s is looking to buy the World Poker Tour. (Scroll down to third comment.)

Developing …


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[AJackson]

[ QUOTE ]
So, is the WPT gonna leave us poker players hanging out to dry on the online issue with that statement?

[/ QUOTE ]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

[mhcmarty]

I'm not sure why the WPTE would go in this direction. The WPTE needs on-line poker and on-line poker needs televised poker (Moneymaker ect...) to continue to reach the masses.

If I can't play poker on-line in my home, my interest in poker is diminished. Over time I become less interested in televised poker and for me poker takes the same route as fantasy football has.

[CaryDarling]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure why the WPTE would go in this direction. The WPTE needs on-line poker and on-line poker needs televised poker (Moneymaker ect...) to continue to reach the masses.

If I can't play poker on-line in my home, my interest in poker is diminished. Over time I become less interested in televised poker and for me poker takes the same route as fantasy football has.

[/ QUOTE ]
My take on this is like yours. I realize this is a battle, but what the WPT has done with that statement is run a suicide bomb mission.

In an attempt to take out their targets *Lederer and Co.* they have also killed and injured innocent bystanders *online players* and themselves dying while in the process.

You are correct, TV Poker needs online poker, and online poker needs TV poker...one needs it to continue to grow *online* and the other needs it so it doesn't continue to die..*TV*

[olivert]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure why the WPTE would go in this direction. The WPTE needs on-line poker and on-line poker needs televised poker (Moneymaker ect...) to continue to reach the masses.

If I can't play poker on-line in my home, my interest in poker is diminished. Over time I become less interested in televised poker and for me poker takes the same route as fantasy football has.

[/ QUOTE ]
My take on this is like yours. I realize this is a battle, but what the WPT has done with that statement is run a suicide bomb mission.

In an attempt to take out their targets *Lederer and Co.* they have also killed and injured innocent bystanders *online players* and themselves dying while in the process.

You are correct, TV Poker needs online poker, and online poker needs TV poker...one needs it to continue to grow *online* and the other needs it so it doesn't continue to die..*TV*

[/ QUOTE ]

Those of us who thought that WPT was losing the battle against the online poker schools and TV producers are both right and wrong:

1. WPT is currently behind the WSOP and NBC Heads-Up in the US TV market, and is currently behind practically everyone else in the European online poker markets.

2. However, the battle for global supremacy of both TV poker and online poker hasn't really begun yet.

The one market in the world where at least 50% of the expected revenue from both online poker and TV poker will be realized by the year 2015 hasn't even been open yet.

That market? CHINA, which is 4 times the size of the U.S. market.

The Macau SAR of China has already surpassed Las Vegas in terms of total annual gaming revenue, even without the presence of Texas Hold'em in Macau casinos.

That will change, as American-style casinos open in Macau and American consultants arrive in Macau to train dealers and cardroom managers to offer Texas Hold'em to mostly Chinese clientele from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

WPTE's strongest ally, MGM MIRAGE, is scheduled to open MGM Grand Macau in the 4th quarter of 2007.

One should not be surprised if MGM Grand Macau were to host a WPT event in 2008.

WPTE has just signed TV distribution agreements in Macau and Singapore, both predominately-Chinese speaking markets where American-style resort casinos, aimed primarily at Chinese clientele, are being built.

Whichever entity is able to convince the Chinese government to issue a legal license to operate an online poker site for players inside MAINLAND China will end up dominating the global online poker business, and thereby controlling the global TV poker business as well.

WPTE's ONLY chance left to displace the WSOP Main Event as the recognized "world championship" of poker is to get the Chinese government to grant WPTE an online poker monopoly in China, so that WPTE and its ally, MGM MIRAGE, can finally get more players to play the "WPT World Championship" instead of the WSOP Main Event.

WPTE has a chance to severely damage its online and TV poker competitors by going to the US Department of Justice with incriminating evidence in order to position itself in a position of strength for online poker and TV poker industries' "Battle for China".

[olivert]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure why the WPTE would go in this direction. The WPTE needs on-line poker and on-line poker needs televised poker (Moneymaker ect...) to continue to reach the masses.

If I can't play poker on-line in my home, my interest in poker is diminished. Over time I become less interested in televised poker and for me poker takes the same route as fantasy football has.

[/ QUOTE ]

WPTE is BUILDING its own VERTICALLY-INTEGRATED poker business, which includes an ONLINE POKER WEBSITE
that operates outside the US, and a MOBILE PHONE REAL MONEY POKER business outside the US.

WPTE now competes DIRECTLY against other online poker companies around the world.

The other online poker companies have also changed the TV poker business in the US market from a "rights fee" business into a "time buy" business, by offering to pay big money to the TV networks for blocks of TV time.

Because the likes of Mansion, Party, UB, and Full Tilt are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every week to buy TV time from U.S. TV networks, the U.S. TV networks no longer have to pay cash for rights to TV poker products.

As a result, WPTE has had great difficulty trying to sell the U.S. TV rights to the 2nd season of the PPT because WPTE wants to stick to the old "rights fee" model in which TV networks pay CASH up front to producers such as WPTE.

WPTE is alleging that Full Tilt and other online poker businesses are using "illegal" profits from taking online poker action from U.S. customers in order to conspire with TV networks to prevent WPTE from being able to seek traditional TV "rights fees" for its PPT product.