WPT Responds to Players' Lawsuit

[Rottersod]

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As for online poker being the domain of the "wealthy" class, that's simply not the case. Far more people gamble online who really can't afford to (in that they are stretching their finances) than do those who can. If online poker succeeds in China it will be because of the raw numbers of people placing bets and not on how much each one bets. And there is no other country on earth except India that has as many people as China.

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This brings up 2 points that I've been thinking about:

- Do we really think online gambling will be big in a culture where gambling is open, available and the accepted norm? For example, do we think online gambling would be as big as it is in the USA if every city hand card rooms, casinos, gambling dens, etc, all of which were not only legal but slso accepted by much of society?

- Can we assume the the Western love affair with televised poker will translate to the East? There are significant cultural differences ... think Karoke bars in Japan, and/or various other types of entertainment in the East that wouldn't stand a chance of becoming mainstream in the West. Is it a lock that even though the East clearly accepts gambling as a way of life, that they would enjoy watching gambling. Isn't it possible that poker is attractive in the West because for the most part poeple are gambling-adverse and therefore enjoy watching something they can't imagine doing themseleves?

NCAces

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Good questions. I don't believe that western style hold em TV shows will be popular with Chinese audiences however the raw numbers are again what entities like WPT are concerned with. If just a tiny, tiny percentage of Chinese watch these shows it will still be many times more than any US audience.

As you say, Chinese love to gamble and it is an ingrained social activity that is not looked down upon. Kind of like going out to shoot some hoops with the friends. Gambling is part of any family gathering - the kids go outside and play, the adults (and teens) gamble. They don't play western style poker though and certainly not hold em. However, there will always be a population that is willing to gamble on the easy way and online poker is just that. If the Chinese govt were to let online poker or other types of gaming in I have no doubt that it would quickly catch on there.

BTW, Karaoke bars are all over the place in cities like LA, etc.