US online poker is currently bustling with activity, particularly in Nevada, the epicenter of Sheldon Adelson’s battle against online gambling. The conflict has escalated recently with Adelson, a casino tycoon, rallying a team of politicians, lobbyists, and fellow casino owners, as detailed below.
In the latest edition of Nevada Online Poker Week in Review, we begin by discussing Adelson’s latest ally. We will then cover other subjects such as a PokerFuse.com report that compares Nevada’s online traffic with its population. We’ll also discuss when the Nevada/Delaware online poker compact is expected to launch. Additionally, we’ll go over the results of last weekend’s tournament, current traffic figures, and the most recent gossip from Nevada.
Atlantis owner Farahi comes out against online gambling
In these unusual times, John Farahi, owner of the Atlantis Hotel and Casino based in Reno, voiced his opposition to online gambling on Tuesday, as reported in Jon Ralston’s column, Ralston Reports.
Isn’t that odd? Farahi and the Atlantis were granted an online poker license in Nevada after they applied for it!
Farahi is the second casino owner with online licenses to oppose online gambling, following Steve Wynn. However, their objections are not the same. Wynn is against online gambling due to a gloomy economic outlook, while Farahi objects to it on ethical grounds, mirroring Sheldon Adelson’s grievances.
Farahi emphatically told Ralston that he was not just 100% against online gambling, but a hyperbolic 1,000% against it.
Farahi stated, “From both a moral and societal health perspective, having gaming in people’s homes is detrimental. With a casino, at least effort is required. It would be reckless for us to allow this to occur.”
Nevada traffic on par with projections
A recent article on PokerFuse.com details that the current traffic levels in the Nevada online poker market are aligned with expectations based on the state’s population.
PokerFuse.com utilized pokerscout.com’s data to establish that Nevada has an average traffic of 65 players per million residents. This is comparable to other regulated markets globally, where the traffic varies between 55 and 67 players per million.
The article continues to detail that although Nevada may be approaching its peak, there is still potential for growth in New Jersey. It’s a captivating read that demonstrates the depth of analysis currently available, which many might assume to be conjectural, in regulated markets.
Nevada / Delaware compact timeline
According to an article by Howard Stutz, Nevada and Delaware are aiming for a summer launch of their online poker compact. The article outlines a possible timeline for the interstate agreement and also mentions that Nevada has been in discussions with New Jersey. It is hoped by both Nevada and Delaware that more states will join them in the future.
Weekly Guaranteed Tournaments in Nevada
WSOP.com Sunday $15K Guaranteed
This week, WSOP.com experienced a significant boost in traffic for its $15k guaranteed tournament, with attendance rising from 80 players to 96 week-over-week. The tournament saw a prize pool of almost $20,000. The event was claimed by someone using the screen-name TimTebow—possibly the ex-Broncos quarterback himself, or perhaps just an anonymous player. While the former scenario makes for a better story, the latter seems more likely.
- TimTebow has $5,472.00, scross has $3,168.00, brokefinger has $1,920.00, mlawson has $1,536.00, Luck_Equity has $1,324.80, bk1048 has $1,132.80, pgreazy19 has $940.80, cantfakeit has $652.80, and SuGaRay71 has $518.40.
Another week has passed, and with it comes another winner of a seat to the World Series of Poker Main Event. This time, “dicma” secured his place in the world’s largest tournament by winning the $215 Qualifier to the 2014 WSOP Main Event, which took place on Saturday.
The tournament, with merely 42 players, also had a pleasing overlay of $1,400.
- dicma – Seat at $10,000 WSOP Main Event
The Ultimate Poker tournament with a $10K Guarantee
The Ultimate Poker game, which had a guaranteed $10,000, was attended by 88 players and resulted in a substantial overlay of nearly $2,000. Ultimate Poker Pro William Reynolds was one of those who benefited, finishing in 4th place.
- gothunder – $2,900
- chrisz19 – $2,000
- Nani’s Dad – $1,500
- ReynoldsXO (William Reynolds) – $1,000
- unlvrebel74 – $800
- IH8Donk$ – $600
- luckboxbryan – $500
- Gametime – $400
- DonkeyFish32 – $300
Traffic trends in Nevada
According to www.pokerscout.com, the cash game traffic this past week fell slightly. WSOP.com’s average cash-game players dropped to 95, while the number of Ultimate Poker’s average players fell to 65. Meanwhile, South Point’s Real Gaming consistently averaged 0 players.
Considering that just a few weeks ago these sites had a combined total of about 200 players, this is somewhat troubling.
The word on the street
MGM’s Murren calls for AGA to calm down
This week, an interesting article by Howard Stutz featured MGM Chairman Jim Murren urging the AGA to tone down their online poker rhetoric.
The article states that Murren wishes for the AGA to concentrate on its traditional battles where there is total consensus within the association, and to let the newly established C4COP handle the online poker dispute.
“In an interview this week, Murren expressed his concerns about the AGA becoming embroiled in a great deal of controversy and internal disputes. He believes that the internet has become an excessively contentious issue, and there are numerous other subjects that they want to address, on which everyone can agree,” Murren said.
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