Casinos.co.uk: Casino News Archive
Wednesday 9th June 2004
Has the Internet Saved the Bricks and Mortar Poker Room?
While Harrah’s still counts its chips following this years record shattering World Series of Poker, its being reported that casinos all over Vegas, which only a few years ago were shutting down their poker rooms due to high operational costs and low rakes, are eagerly developing and expanding new ones in order to accommodate the world’s newly found fascination for the game.
Harrah’s took a gamble by investing millions to acquire the World Series in the hope of increasing brand name awareness with a gut feeling about an imminent Internet led poker explosion; and this year that gamble has paid out. The 2004 World Series of Poker drew 34,000 players in all at satellite, Internet and championship events, a figure expected to grow considerably next year.
Ginny Shanks, who heads acquisition marketing for Harrah's, said the company's satellite games at sixteen regional casinos around the country were a phenomenal success, adding that fan and spectator interest has given the company an enormous boost. Deutsche Bank analyst, Marc Falcone, has said the tournament helped the company increase brand equity in the Harrah's name.
Tropicana President Hector Mon, who plans to reopen a newly refurbished poker room at his casino next year, said that the cost of poker operations have eased during recent years because Internet and TV poker enthusiasts are now drawn to bigger games, producing a higher rake.
'Poker is generating a buzz that raises a level of expectations the full-service casino wants to satisfy,” he said.
Source:OnlineCasinoNews
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