The recent launch of an online gambling division by US gaming giant, Harrah’s was fresh news in the industry, but hardly surprising, considering the state of land based gambling in the country, and the winds of change being felt with the new Obama government. Publicly or privately, the majority of offline gambling companies in the United States are after a legalized and regulated online wagering industry, and Harrah’s new division seems a logical answer to changes that we may be seeing in the near future.
Yet, there seems to be something more than meets the eye, and a hint of that something comes with the appointment of former Chief Executive Officer of PartyGaming, Mitch Gerber, to head the new division which will focus, among other things, on the operations for the World Series of Poker.
Is Harrah’s considering a move into the online gambling market with the launch of its own brand name gaming and poker site? And could this consideration have something to do with the fact that there is probably nobody better than Mitch Gerber who understands the ins and outs of the online gambling worlds as a whole… and PartyGaming in particular?
And here’s the perfect timing element. PartyGaming (Partypoker), only last week, signed a deal with the US Department of Justice to settle a case that has been going on for years. The plea agreement, which cost PartyGaming $105 million, means that the software company has had its name cleared in the United States. This also means that any company that chooses to work with PartyGaming in the future won’t be up against any problems with the DOJ. I can see it now, “Partypoker by Harrah’s”
Harrah’s has all the right elements in place – a political environment that has never been riper for change than the current administration; a fiery congressman in the form of Barney Frank pushing for new legislation; a brand new division with a leader who has plenty of drive and experience to take Harrah’s online ambitions far and the opportunity to work globally with a number of top gaming brands… including one of the biggest out there, PartyGaming.
