Gambling Today: World Series of Poker Goes Virtual
Poker players worldwide knew it was only a matter of time before the official announcement came through.
The World Series of Poker, the biggest poker attraction of the year at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, will now be moved to an online format due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event, originally scheduled to run from May 26 - July 15, will now commence on July 1 according to a company release. The new virtual format will extend into early September.
"Set to be one of the largest online tournament series of all time, 'WSOP Online' will offer players massive prize pools, unprecedented media coverage for online events, and the chance to win gold bracelet glory across two distinct gaming platforms, WSOP.com and GGPoker."
WSOP also announced that its North American network has created a schedule featuring one bracelet event a day throughout the entire month of July. However, there will be one major issue with the decision to host the event online as opposed to a live offering. According to the release, WSOP.com will only allow participants who are, “geo-located in either the state of Nevada or New Jersey.”
The online bracelet tournaments will begin July 19 on the GGPoker Network. This also marks the first time participants outside the U.S. will be able to compete for an official WSOP bracelet.
“It wouldn’t be Summer without WSOP” said Ty Stewart, Executive Director of the World Series of Poker.
“While we are thrilled to be reopening our venues and optimistic about future offline events, we couldn’t be more excited about deepening our relationship with GGPoker and watching some history unfold online this summer.”
Players should take note that if the WSOP determines multiple participants are on the same IP address, that they will be disqualified.
With changes happening in real-time, the new safety measures being implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic are modifying many popular events for gambling and sports betting fans. Poker enthusiasts will have roughly three weeks to make accommodations, secure lodging, a comfortable chair and a viable device to participate within the geolocation areas in Nevada and New Jersey.
The words “shuffle up and deal” will offer yet another new reality in 2020.
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