UIGEA-WSOP-Europe: Big Push Towards the Future of Poker

[gaboonviper]

As most of you are aware Harrahs announced that the WSOP will be expanding into Europe starting in September. Gold bracelets will be awarded for the first time ever outside of Las Vegas.

There is a "hidden message" here that should be screaming at all of you who have been following the poker world post UIGEA. That message is: In the future the United States will no longer be the poker capital of the world. The future of poker is no longer with the United States. Instead it is with Europe and perhaps Asia.

Basically, the future of poker is wherever online poker can thrive and grow. UIGEA destroyed this for the United States so the future is Europe and Asia. However I am still a sceptic about how well it will do in Asia as they are looking more and more like they will impose severe regulation as we have done.

Europe thus is the logical location for the future of poker as the game will be able to grow and thrive there. Harrahs has seen this which is why they are expanding WSOP in a big way in Europe. And this will continue to grow and get bigger over time.

I know everyone is speculating about the future, and the possibility of legalizing online gambling in the United States. At best this is 3 to 5 years off and could be longer, if at all. Do not kid yourselves, there will be a ton of opposition to legalizing internet gambling here from a number of powerful groups including the religious right. They will argue that gambling should be allowed only in isolated areas as it is now with brick and mortar--and not brought into the home as it would be with online. And there are many other arguments against legalizing online gaming in the US. Of course tax revenue is the big plus but may not be enough to force the issue through.

To conclude, the future push in poker is towards Europe not the post UIGEA United States.

[TheJokerIsWild]

[ QUOTE ]
As most of you are aware Harrahs announced that the WSOP will be expanding into Europe starting in September. Gold bracelets will be awarded for the first time ever outside of Las Vegas.




There is a "hidden message" here that should be screaming at all of you who have been following the poker world post UIGEA. That message is: In the future the United States will no longer be the poker capital of the world. The future of poker is no longer with the United States. Instead it is with Europe and perhaps Asia.

Basically, the future of poker is wherever online poker can thrive and grow. UIGEA destroyed this for the United States so the future is Europe and Asia. However I am still a sceptic about how well it will do in Asia as they are looking more and more like they will impose severe regulation as we have done.

Europe thus is the logical location for the future of poker as the game will be able to grow and thrive there. Harrahs has seen this which is why they are expanding WSOP in a big way in Europe. And this will continue to grow and get bigger over time.

I know everyone is speculating about the future, and the possibility of legalizing online gambling in the United States. At best this is 3 to 5 years off and could be longer, if at all. Do not kid yourselves, there will be a ton of opposition to legalizing internet gambling here from a number of powerful groups including the religious right. They will argue that gambling should be allowed only in isolated areas as it is now with brick and mortar--and not brought into the home as it would be with online. And there are many other arguments against legalizing online gaming in the US. Of course tax revenue is the big plus but may not be enough to force the issue through.

To conclude, the future push in poker is towards Europe not the post UIGEA United States.

[/ QUOTE ]


Thx baboon...as usual you are brilliant with your analysis.

[Uglyowl]

For crying out loud, most companies are trying to get the feet wet (or are already fully soaked) in “emerging markets”. Go and listen to Coke’s latest conference call (you can find it on their website); see Bank of America (who is close to their legal U.S. deposit cap); see Intel (chips for cheap $100 computers for these countries); and the list goes on and on.

This isn’t a surprise, it is just the business climate we are in; tremendous growth prospects overseas at the moment.

[Tim Brice]

Paragraphs?

[Skallagrim]

Someone hacked gaboonviper's account. You can tell by the spaces in the post and the lack of "fire and brimstone will rain down upon you" rhetoric. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Actually, future LARGE growth of the WSOP in Europe is obvious, but the euro-players still love to come to Las Vegas. The LV WSOP will always be the top tournament.

Skallagrim

[Coy_Roy]

In this instance, I believe gaboonviper is 100% spot on.

[JPFisher55]

Maybe, but the per capita GDP's and growth rate in most of Europe is below US. I am not sure that the Capital of Poker will be in Europe, but it is a good market. European socialist believe in individual freedoms in one's home more than US socialists and religious moralists.

[bossplayer]

[ QUOTE ]
In this instance, I believe gaboonviper is 100% spot on.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, glad you think so, but this is commentary on future predictions. Not exactly what I look for under "Legislation".

SERIOUSLY MODS!!!!!! Give him his own little corner to post in. I for 1 don't like his constant posts pushing down other important posts.

Just for starters his post should be in Finance.

[questions]

I agree with this post.

There is an irony about the fundie argument, "don't bring gambling into the home" in that it is an argument akin to "don't **** where you sleep". The irony is that, of course, most of us **** at home, where we sleep. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[mhcmarty]

" Gold bracelets will be awarded for the first time ever outside of Las Vegas."

I wouldn't assume this to be true. The circuit events don't award bracelets.