888poker Chosen As Leading 2015 WSOP Sponsor

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Tuesday, March 31st, 2015 | Written by Stephen Smith

Back in 2006, 888 Holdings exited the US iGaming market following the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), but since its triumphant return in 2013 the company has risen to become the country’s largest internet poker software provider, with a major presence in all three regulated states of Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey. This week, 888poker further consolidated its top position in the US poker market after announcing it was to be the 2015 World Series of Poker’s leading official sponsor. Commenting on the exclusive branding deal, Itai Pazner, Senior Vice President at 888 Holdings, said:

“As a true partner with the WSOP on the B2B side where we power their real-money gaming in the United States, this was a logical next step for us to carry the power of the WSOP to our players across all other major markets we serve.”

888poker And WSOP Hand-in-hand

While the World Series of Poker already uses 888 software to power its Nevada online poker site WSOP.com, in the past the organization has shied away from entering into a sponsorship arrangement with the online poker operator as it prefered to promote its own WSOP.com brand, instead. Since September of 2013 when the site launched, however, ties between the WSOP and 888poker have consolidated further, with a similar agreement also in place in New Jersey. Furthermore, 888poker has since grown to become the second biggest poker operator on the planet, with a seven-day weekly average of 2,600 players according to PokerScout, and this is likely to have influenced WSOP organizers to rethink their branding strategy.

888 To Offer WSOP Satellites

888poker’s arrangement with the WSOP has been described as a “board sponsorship and content pact,” and includes the 2015 World Series of Poker and WSOP Europe. As part of its responsibilities as the leading sponsor of both prestigious events, 888poker has been granted exclusive rights to offer satellites and specific WSOP themed promotions through to the live tournament series in Las Vegas, from a range of countries including the US, Canada, Mexico, Italy, France and India. Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) owns the World Series of Poker, and commenting on the deal, WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart, said:

“888Poker has been a great partner to CIE for many years now. We’re proud of the comprehensive offering 888poker will have for any player outside the USA who dreams to play in our flagship events. We see 888poker’s expanded sponsorship as an important step to qualify players affordably and bring additional prize money to the tournaments.”

More Opportunities For Players

The benefit of enabling players living in New Jersey, Nevada or in various other jurisdictions around the world to satellite and qualify cheaply for the Series through their PC’s or mobile devices is expected to prove a major boon for the summer tournament spectacle. Needless to say, the WSOP and 888poker’s symbiotic relationship should help increase awareness of the annual series in Las Vegas, and push up numbers across all live events, as well as drive more traffic towards WSOP.com and 888poker websites.

Coverage Of Live Reporting On WSOP.com

The new sponsorship deal will also see 888poker powering live reporting on the WSOP.com site, with regular chip counts and tournament updates, as well providing similar information on its own 888poker related gaming sites. In addition, 888poker will benefit from having its brand logo featured on the felt and on-site branding boards during the $10k WSOP Main Event TV coverage on ESPN.

2015 WSOP Most Amateur Friendly To Date

In a post-poker boom era, appealing to recreational players and attracting this important demographic back into the game is seen as increasingly vital for the game’s future sustainability. As a result, the 46th Annual World Series of Poker which takes place from May 27th until July 14th at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, will now feature more lower buy-in tournaments than ever before, including the lowest buy-in event of the modern WSOP era, the $565 Colossus No-Limit Hold’em. The $10k WSOP Main Event will also payout a record 1,000 places ensuring more players don’t go away empty-handed, while any player making the final table will be guaranteed a minimum $1 million payday, as opposed to the top-heavy approach of the past.