Home / Poker News July 2012 / The Poker Grapevine – 888 Partners Up with WMS Gaming
The Poker Grapevine – 888 Partners Up with WMS Gaming
Posted by: Randy Williams - Tue, 2012-07-03 07:14
Various online poker interests have long been jostling for a spot on the Nevada online poker map once licensing and regulation is finalized and the system actually starts up. Towards that end, various partnerships have been set up, between local brick and mortar gambling establishments and international online poker interests. The latest such partnership is the one between the 888 Group and WMS Gaming. WMS Gaming is a slot machine supplier, which means that it has its hands deep in pretty much every noteworthy casino all over the US.
The goal of the partnership is for WMS to push the 888
online poker platform to clients in various live casinos in the US. The offer would be a free-to-play one initially, but the real goal is to market the real money online poker platform of course, as soon as real money online gaming is legalized in Nevada.
Both 888 and WMS Gaming have already applied for Nevada licenses.
According to 888 CEO Brian Mattingly, the fact that WMS gaming already has an established and second-to-none relationship with most live gambling operators was a major factor in 888’s decision to enter the partnership.
888 also have an ongoing partnership with Caesars Interactive Entertainment, one that fits in well with the WMS deal.
In other news: the winner of the Daniel Cates challenge has been chosen. Before this year’s Series kicked off, Daniel Cates challenged people to do good deeds and to record them in order to win a WSOP Main Event seat sponsored by him. The winner of the challenge is Daniel Suava, who recorded the “Free Hugs” video. Needless to say the winner has been ecstatic about heading to Las Vegas for the Big Dance. He may yet end up playing in more WSOP events than Cates himself, who thus far hasn’t really been able to find the time to take part in any of the ongoing green felt battles.
