is the poker boom winding down, market nearing cap?

[Starfish]

The French connection:

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Bwin Lawyer Responds to Arrests
18 September 2006

PARIS, France –- (PRESS RELEASE) -- In the bwin case, France is acting in a "disproportionate and illegitimate manner", says Frederic Manin, the French lawyer of bwin Co-CEOs Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger who are still being held in France.

"In essence, all of this is more than objectionable", the lawyer explained, "as French law is incompatible with European Community law."

"To assert itself against the activities of a company such as bwin in France, the French State must apply a consistent gaming policy and prove that the monopoly is the only way to protect the purposes of public order", Mr. Manin specifies.

bwin is alleged to have violated the lottery and betting monopoly held by La Francaise des Jeux (FDJ) and PMU in France.

"If FDJ had a low profile, it might be acceptable", the bwin advisor underscores. "But FDJ has launched a full-fledge diversification campaign, boasts a two-digit annual growth rate and, through its Euro Million game, is reaching out to countries other than France."

"The interest of FDJ is solely financial", Mr. Manin asserts. "If you let FDJ grow, then other gaming companies should also be allowed into France."

The order to appear before the examining magistrate of Nanterre at the beginning of the week was issued to the two bwin Co-CEOs on Saturday.

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Link containing the article you just read

[olivert]

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MANSION and 888.com (formerly Pacific Poker) are "ambushing marketing" toward gamblers in China by sponsoring the jerseys of English Premier League (EPL) soccer clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesbrough respectively.

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C'mon ... not even you can believe that this is why they did those sponsorship deals.

It's nothing less than AMBUSH MARKETING TO THE CHINESE? I suppose the European and US markets that watch EPL are merely incidental.

I suppose next you'll tell me this is also the sole reason Nike sponsors Tiger Woods, to reach into the untapped golf market that is the sub-$300 income farmers. Hey, they only need 1 out of 1000, right?

Do you seriously wonder why no one picks up your articles?

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Once again, you put words in my mouth.

I never said that MANSION and 888.com paid millions to sponsor Tottenham and Middlesbrough solely as an "ambush marketing" exercise toward Asia.

But by paying big money to sponsor Tottenham and Middlesbrough, MANSION and 888.com get the added benefit of ambush marketing into East Asia, where more EPL soccer TV viewers exist than in the UK. (The EPL audience in the US and Canada are largely inconsequential.)

This "poker in China" issue will be debated ad nauseum for the next 24 months. Skeptics will keep coming up with reasons why Texas Hold'em will never work in China, while some companies in the gaming industry, such as Las Vegas Sands and WPTE, will go "all in" and bet the farm on China.

[DarthIgnurnt]

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Once again, you put words in my mouth.

I never said that MANSION and 888.com paid millions to sponsor Tottenham and Middlesbrough solely as an "ambush marketing" exercise toward Asia.


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MANSION is also using EPL in ambush marketing to China, as MANSION is the jersey sponsor of EPL club Tottenham Hotspur FC.

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But look at the list of companies that are spending serious effort, and serious money, to try to penetrate the gaming business in mainland China:


7. 888.com, with ambush marketing via English Premier League soccer telecasts on ESPN China/STAR SPORTS China.

8. MANSION, also with ambush marketing via English Premier League soccer telecasts on ESPN China/STAR SPORTS China.


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MANSION and 888.com (formerly Pacific Poker) are "ambushing marketing" toward gamblers in China by sponsoring the jerseys of English Premier League (EPL) soccer clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesbrough respectively.

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Yes, I see now. How could I have made that mistake? You clearly neither said nor implied anything of the sort.

Seriously, good luck with your career and your crusade.

[kslghost]

China is a big market for anything nowadays. They have 1 billion people. However, it's less likely to effect us, as it's difficult to say that any China regulated online room will even allow US and European players on it. Money there is not equal to money here, and it's not a free open money market (as much as other countries).

As for poker boom / cap, I'd say it's going to level out within the next five or so years (assuming another country/continent doesn't join to refire up a boom). Poker is never going to saturate exactly, since 21/18 year olds become of age, and 60 year olds (and others) stop playing/die/go broke. It has and will continue to be a high turnover market.

Unfortunately, as players, the poker knowledge level of the market continues to rise. Just as everyone now knows computers, everyone will eventually know basic poker strategies and principles. Profitability level will decrease, though it will certainly remain a very beatable game since there will always be the people who want to "play just for fun."

As for oliver, you need to chill about all this. Keep it in one thread. Apparently you've posted about it a lot, and most people here are not going to care. We understand that its a big deal to companies. When it happens, call us and we'll play against chinese players. Everyone knows that China is always a market that US and other freemarket companies are trying to reach out to. But getting around the government will always be a problem, and until they hammer out a deal, all this preaching does nothing but alienate people to the idea. And plus, what does knowing this actually do for me in the short, or even five-eight year run? It's not going to happen overnight, so please, talk about it when it happens.

[MrMorden]

It may be that some events stop growing or even decline a bit but that doesnt mean poker as a whole is diminishing, there are just so many more big tournaments nowadays, all over the world. Alot of people are coming to European events also. No one can play all the events.