The United States Department of Justice has declared internet gambling sites to be illegal, a violation of three separate sections of Title 18 of the United States Code.



Land-based casinos stand silent, careful to avoid making any public observations pro or con, on this obviously sensitive issue regarding a multi-billion dollar industry. Why the silence? Many are of the opinion that casinos regard the banning of internet gambling in the U.S. as an elimination of competition, leaving casinos as the major venue for the gambling buck. Yet it certainly seems that a strange symbiotic relationship does exist between online gaming and the brick and mortar gambling houses. In particular, this symbiotic relationship seems strongest between the poker .coms and the promoters of major land-based poker tournaments.









Why is it that the media director for the World Series of Poker - the world’s largest and highest profile poker tournament - is a major spokesman for PokerStars.com, itself one of the leading online poker sites? And why were the felt covered tables at the 2006 WSOP emblazoned with the logo of another online poker giant, PartyPoker?



Well, let’s take an educated guess at what some of the answers might be. Think about this; It is estimated with considerable certainty that more than 40% of the 44,500 players that participated in the 2006 World Series of Poker Tournament found their way into the Las Vegas Rio’s poker room via internet poker sites such as PartyPoker.com, etc. These online sites frequently offer winners either cash prizes or the option of a paid-for seat at the WSOP world championship event which requires a $10,000 entry fee.



What does the WSOP commissioner, and Harrah’s vice president of sports and entertainment marketing, Jeffrey Pollack, have to say about the online poker site’s contribution to the unprecedented hoard of players at this years WSOP? As quoted in an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal of Sunday, August 6, 2006, by writer Howard Stutz, mr. Pollack said, “ I honestly haven’t spent much time thinking about what the { poker } dot-coms do or don’t do because we’re not in business with them.”



OnlinePoker.com disputed that statement. So does Dan Goldman, group marketing director for PokerStars.com, an entity with endorsement tie-ins with three WSOP champions, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer and Joseph Hatchem. These dot-coms are certain that their contribution to the success of the WSOP is large. “ One way or another, we have increased the popularity of poker in a way that has expanded the WSOP beyond the hard numbers that you see, “ Goldman said.



Undoubtedly, the dot-coms are correct. Whether or not the WSOP admits it, a considerable percentage of players at the World Series of Poker Tournament, over the years, and increasingly so year by year, have come to play via the internet. Either they won enough money to directly buy into these tournaments or they won a seat from an online casino. No question about it! Equally certain is the fact that many - possibly most - of these players honed their skills in online casino play and gained enough confidence to compete in land-based, face-to-face poker competition.

By: Kenneth Bateman -

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Kenneth Bateman writes numerous articles on the subject of online casinos. To read more of his articles on internet casinos.