Harrah's decides ZERO ads allowed from .net sites for the WSOP...

[hollaballa]

Harrah's board decided yesterday that no poker sites accepting US players would be allowed to advertise at the WSOP.

Meaning no .net, no nothing from Pokerstars, Fulltilt, etc.

Foreign sites not allowing US players will be allowed to advertise.

Fulltilt had bought the rights to the felt......guess that won't be happening.

GG US poker sites.

[[Phill]]

This is pretty huge news.

[italianstang]

I wonder what exactly an "ad" is? Does that mean that Full Tilt won't even be able to rent out those rooms in the hallway and set up those big displays and stuff?

[MasterLJ]

Need confirmation. Link to article or site?

[AJackson]

That sucks.

I wouldn't be surprised if that shuts down WSOP satellite tournaments. Sites don't like those large chunks of cash leaving their sites and without the benefit of advertising, I doubt they'll be interested.

[hollaballa]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder what exactly an "ad" is? Does that mean that Full Tilt won't even be able to rent out those rooms in the hallway and set up those big displays and stuff?

[/ QUOTE ]

From my understanding, Harrah's can't take a dollar from anyone like FTP, Pokerstars, etc.

So, I'd assume that means no booth, no room with a bar, no nothing. Like FTP no even allowed to have a sign or anything at the WSOP.

Now, what's lame as hell about this is Harrah's stance is even worse than the DOJ took with the Travel Channel and others.

The World Poker Tour (via the travel channel) got in trouble for the .com ads. Well, they just starting running .net ads and the DOJ has not had a problem with that.

But Harrah's seems to want to take an even more aggressive stance.

You can just about lump me in with the conspiracy theorists now. Looks like the big casinos are trying to drive the competition out of business....even if that means giving up millions.

FTP had a deal for $3mil to buy the felt for the 2007 WSOP. There's probably another $5-6 million to be made from various things from .net advertisers.

Not now.

[hollaballa]

[ QUOTE ]
Need confirmation. Link to article or site?

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't link a meeting with Harrahs.

Someone will do an article on it soon enough, but considering this info is only a few hours old, you won't be getting a link anytime soon.

[TylerD]

I believe you, but who are you?

[[Phill]]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder what exactly an "ad" is? Does that mean that Full Tilt won't even be able to rent out those rooms in the hallway and set up those big displays and stuff?

[/ QUOTE ]

The bigger picture is that sites provide stuff like hotels, food and other such crap as hats and T shirts so that their logo is represented.

As the other dude either got, or was half way there, will sites want to put people in the WSOP if they cant get advertised? Will they have to charge more juice, or expect people to get their own hotels and the sites are just a vehicle for qualifying, much like if 10 friends all put up 1K and the winner of the tourney between them took the cash to vegas to represent them.

[hollaballa]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe you, but who are you?

[/ QUOTE ]

I really can't say, but something will come out in the next few days to confirm my story. I understand if people don't take some random posters word.

This isn't something I'd just make up for kicks and giggles.....it's 100% true unless someone at Harrahs overrules it, which is highly unlikely.

One interesting thing is how will Harrahs treat PartyPoker?

PartyPoker had a deal for the felt and a banner on the website. Harrahs let them out of the deal because FTP was going to take their place. Not sure who will take their place now. Probably some energy drink or something for a quarter of the price.

I'm interested to see if Party will be a "complying foreign site that does not allow US players" or a banned site.