New article in the Las Vegas Sun, looking at the WSOP and the Nevada Gaming Control Board\’s comfort level with online poker sites that do and do not accept American players. No one\’s wagging any fingers at the WSOP specifically, but the article does take a closer look at Full Tilt\’s and PokerStars\’ presence at the Rio (and a little bit UB\’s) as well as partnerships these sites have with other casinos.
After the [UIGEA] passed Congress, some sites left the U.S. market, fearing prosecution by federal regulators. Some sites, including PokerStars.com and Full Tilt Poker.com whose .net logos adorn the clothing of many World Series of Poker players continue to allow action from Americans, however. Those sites are purposefully putting that product in the United States in disregard of Department of Justice interpretations of federal law and also Nevada law, [GCB member Randall] Sayre says.
This closer look stemmed from what would become the rapid rise-and-fall of NAPT-Venetian. The Venetian does confirm in the Sun article, btw, that they have no current or future relationship with PokerStars … you know, despite appearances one might get from PokerStars.net and NAPT logos on 119 felts throughout this summer\’s Deep Stack Series.
GCB makes it clear that they don\’t like to see its licensees in bed with American friendly online poker sites, but they\’re still not being clear on where they draw the lines for what might constitute just messing around. Even the regulators contend they can\’t begin to tell people what they can and cannot wear on their bodies.
That, of course, begs the question, then why not just let people wear hats and shirts logo\’d up with dot-coms?
