Gary Loveman, chief executive of Harrah’s Entertainment Inc, has been pondering the idea of taking the World Series of Poker brand online in the United Kingdom and Europe. He spoke at the Global Gaming Expo about his thoughts:
“If you take a look at the legal landscape in continental Europe and the United Kingdom, there are countries where it’s demonstrably legal and there’s absolutely no encumbrance,” Loveman said. “Those are areas that are very attractive to us.”
The area of online gambling in the United States wouldn’t work of course because of the ban on banks and payment processors to handle payment for players. That is why they have looked to start the WSOP online overseas.
The WSOP tournament spokesman Gary Thompson has stated that they are looking at all aspects before deciding if they shall proceed. They want to be sure of all legal and market conditions before continuing.
Last year’s attendance at the WSOP was down because of the passing of the UIGEA. Most poker sites did not offer prizes to attend the WSOP to US residents because they are not allowed to transfer money. These packages were worth $10,000 each.
I find it very ironic that people in the United States cannot participate to win a prize to attend a poker tournament in the U.S. but someone in another country can win because it is not illegal where they live.
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