The inaugural
World Series of Poker Europe, taking place in London from Sept. 6-16, sees Betfair as "presenting sponsor" until 2011 in the largest-ever union of its kind between an offline and an online gaming company.
The first
World Series event to be held outside Las Vegas, the tournament will be hosted at three casinos operated by London Clubs International - Fifty, in St James's; The Casino at the Empire, Leicester Square; and The Sportsman, on Marble Arch.
As part of the agreement, Betfair will be integrated into several facets of
WSOP Europe and will promote the event internationally on a year-round basis.
"Betfair is a global leader in gaming innovation" said Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the
World Series of Poker. "Our two organizations each have a vision, style, and brand strength that is complementary and world class.
"Our alliance with Betfair will launch and build the
World Series of Poker Europe with prestige and authenticity. This will likely become the most important poker tournament outside of Las Vegas."
"This is an historic deal for us," said David Yu, Chief Executive Officer of Betfair. "To present the
WSOP, with its 38-year tradition, on its first venture into Europe is a great honour."
"Betfair is renowned for its ground-breaking moves in the world of fixed-odds sports betting," Yu said. "This deal puts Betfair alongside the most important brand in offline poker, and bonds us with Harrah's Entertainment, the largest casino operator in the world."
The
World Series of Poker Europe, presented by Betfair.com, will consist of three events. The largest of these is the main event, a £10,000 buy-in, 750-player, six-day tournament spread over three casinos, with a prize pool of roughly £7.5 million. The winner could take home more than £1.5 million in cash, depending on the number of entrants, and a
WSOP gold bracelet, the most coveted prize in poker. It will be the first time a
WSOP bracelet can be won outside the U.S.
