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The internet has changed everything over time. We no longer need to buy a newspaper, as we can read the news as it happens online. Shopping can be done twenty-four hours a day from most of our favorite shops. No more need for encyclopedias, just look up the information on wikipedia.org. We find our jobs online. We even find our mates online. It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the internet has changed gambling as we know it. The World Series of Poker used to be a small affair that only serious poker fans knew about. Now the event is televised worldwide. Online gambling experts estimate that over forty percent of the 44,500 players partaking in this year's World Series found their way to the Rio's poker room via the Internet. Since online gambling has increased in popularity numerous players are winning their seats, or the money for their seats, from events and tournaments on pay-to-play online poker rooms. Players aiming for the World Series of Poker had the choice to win a paid-for seat in the championship or the money for cost of the event, a nice $10,000. Of course, if you're good enough to win a seat in the championship then it would be foolish not to go. Even the tenth place winner left with over one million dollars. The World Series of Poker is one land-based event which is grateful for internet poker rooms. Dan Goldman, a marketer from Pokerstars.com, is thankful for the cooperation between the online and off-line mediums. "We have this synergy between us. Clearly, we are important to the World Series of Poker," he said. "There is a percentage of people who are here because they learned how to play online. They either had some success and won money to buy in, or they won a seat," Goldman said. "One way or another, we have increased the popularity of poker in a way that has expanded the World Series beyond the hard numbers that you see." While an estimated forty percent found their way into the event via the internet the growth of the event itself is also considered to have grown due to online poker rooms. The winner of the entire event takes home $12 million. The amount of people aiming to reach that goal last year was 5,619. This year there are 8,773 hopefuls who played to take home the big win. "When the initial numbers showed about 6,000 players in the final event, there is no question the early signups were the result of what we bring," said Victor Bigio, marketing director for Loudvision, a Toronto marketing firm that is affiliated with UltimateBet.com. "We give players the knowledge and skills they need to play in an event like this." No one can deny that the event has grown to its current size due to internet poker rooms. However, one would think that the tournament commissioner Jeffrey Pollack would be more appreciative of the industry which has sent so many players to his tournament. "I don't talk to the dot-coms, I don't," he said. "Online gaming is illegal. Everything we do, whether it's selling hospitality at the Rio (the hotel-casino hosting the World Series) or selling product placement with PartyPoker.net on our felt, is done with a sharp eye on the regulatory environment." Wait. He doesn't talk to the dot.coms but he has an online poker room product placement on the felt. Let me note that it's not the gambling site, but the practice site which is being advertised. I suppose that means he speaks only to the dot.nets and not the dot.coms. Sure Pollack, whatever you say. Keeping in mind the regulation towards advertising online gambling in the US, the televised tournament's first day was postponed several minutes as organizers announced that anyone sporting a "dot-com" poker logo would not be allowed to play. Approximately half of more than 2,000 players proceeded to flip their shirts inside-out. In addition, workers circulated with rolls of black tape, covering any "dot-com" symbols they could find. "Tape or not, I still look good," said David Daniel, a player from Bristol, Tenn., who qualified by winning $10,000 in a $160 "double-shootout" tournament online and was wearing a dot.com hockey jersey. Poker is a game where the casino always wins. Players give the house a small fee for playing at their table. Ten years ago before internet gambling became what it is today, there weren't many poker tables left in Las Vegas. It was the introduction of poker rooms online that spurred the growth of the industry as we know it now. What a pity the online and off-line versions of gambling couldn't get along this well all the time. Or perhaps they could, but the US Congress is bound and determined that they never get the chance to find out. Calvin Ayre, the owner of bodog.com, is missing from the World Series of Poker. His company is still being advertised in nightclubs with dancers in dresses sporting the bodog.com logo but he and his entourage were sorely absent. "He'd have girls all around him and he'd be the life of the party," said Ronn Torossian, a publicist familiar with Ayre's ways. Ayre doesn't feel the potential publicity of his presence is worth the risk of going to jail, and he's not alone. "I've got no certainty whatsoever," said Ayre. "I don't believe any senior executive of any online gaming company is going to be going into the United States for the foreseeable future," he added. "It's not just me, and I've talked to a lot of them." Ever since David Carruthers, the now ex-CEO of Betonsports.com, was arrested while changing planes on July 16th the internet gambling industry has avoided the United States. Betonsports.com has been charged with racketeering, fraud, and tax evasion. They have also been ordered to stop accepting bets from US players. Right now Congress is reviewing two bills which could close the last loophole for players who love to gamble online. Currently playing online from the US is still legal (except for Washington state) while the internet casino or poker room itself is mostly illegal. I say mostly because it hasn't actually been tested, but then I doubt that any online casino owners will be coming to the US anytime soon to take that test. Related Links: Posted on: August 10, 2006
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