“Online Poker Conference Attracts Internet Gambling Operators to Vegas”

To gain a better understanding of the poker craze currently sweeping the online gambling world, this year’s poker conference has drawn a multitude of gambling operators, lawyers and marketing strategists to Las Vegas. Hosted by Bodog.com’s Chief Executive Officer Calvin Ayre, the conference – held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center – began one day before the World Series of Poker tournament.

Focusing on the promotion of internet poker sites, the inaugural conference hosted by Bodog.com was held three years ago. At the time Bodog.com has just launched its own online poker room with the intention of cashing in on the popularity of online poker. Since then, Bodog.com has grown to be the largest promotional company for the online gambling industry.

Calvin Ayre was quick to point out the reasons for holding this year’s conference in Las Vegas despite Nevada’s stance against the legalization of online gambling. “Progressive casinos acknowledge the industry for what it is,” Ayre states. “We are a large feeder system for the casinos and Las Vegas is the center of this space.”

Ayre, who operates his site from Costa Rica, admits that despite Nevada’s ban, Bodog.com does not actively refuse bets from residents of the state, but also refrains from marketing its activities directly due to anti-gambling legislation. “We don’t block bets from Nevada, but we don’t go out of our way to tap people in Nevada,” he says.

With the conference scheduled for the day before the beginning of the World Series of Poker, Ayre was eager to promote the online poker industry further. Online poker fans refer to the championships as the Super Bowl of poker. Hosted at the Rio Convention Center, the World Series of Poker is the largest event on the online poker fan’s calendar.

Many fans acknowledge that up to one third of players in the final tournament will have obtained their positions there through Bodog.com and other poker sites. Publisher of Las Vegas based Card Player Magazine and tournament finalist Jeff Shulman supports this connection. “Casinos know how important online sites are,” Shulman says.

The World Series of Poker is run over three days to share facilities at the Rio Convention Center. The first prize is a jackpot of seven million dollars with further one million dollar prizes for runners-up. Two hundred poker tables are in operation during the tournament catering for over 6000 registered players.