WSOP Attracts More Players Despite US Legislation
The World Series of Poker typically sees a large portion on entrants coming from online gambling operators who offer satellite tournaments awarding entry to the WSOP. Since Americans are no longer legally able to gamble over the Internet, Harrah's Casino in Las Vegas wasn't expecting the numbers to be as high as last year's approximately 31,000 participants.
In contrast to the expectations, the World Series of Poker attracted an even higher number of players, totaling about 38,000. Harrah's casino believes this jump in player registration is due in part to the change in pay-out structure, which will see even more players leaving with cash winnings in their pockets.
Since the unexpected jump in numbers, there has been a two day extension of the WSOP 2007 to ensure enough time is allotted for completion of the Main Event, set to begin Friday, July 6, 2007 at Harrah's Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.