World Poker Tour Cancels Macau Tournament SeriesTour Remains Hopeful Of Eventual Chinese Series |
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The World Poker Tour announced a new tournament series heading to Macau for the first time in June, but canceled those plans on Monday.
The move comes as tournament poker has slowly returned to the island, the only legal casino gambling jurisdiction in China. The WPT has announced that the series would be held at Wynn Macau in conjunction with Allied Gaming and Entertainment. No reason was given for the sudden cancellation.
“WPT Macau, which was scheduled to take place in June, will not move forward,” the tour noted in a statement. “WPT, Wynn Macau, and Allied Gaming and Entertainment (AGAE) regret any inconvenience or disappointment for players from around the world who were planning to travel to Macau and play in the event.”
Second WPT Cancellation In May
The series was originally set for June 18-24, with a HK$40,000 ($5,112) buy-in championship event and a HK$200,000 ($25,563) high roller. Allied was expected to assist in the marketing, production, and management of the festival, but now the entire series has been scrapped.
Tour CEO Adam Pliska had expressed his longtime desire to see a tour event on the island, saying that “this collaboration represents another exciting advancement” for the WPT. The tour hopes to eventually see that happen, company officials noted.
“WPT remains committed to working with Wynn Macau and AGAE in the future to bring world-class poker tournaments back to the region,” the tour noted.
The move comes two weeks after another WPT series was canceled in Vietnam. Earlier in May, a tour stop planned for Crown Poker Club in Hanoi was shut down just days before the event was expected to kick off. A local media report said organizers didn’t receive the correct government clearances to run the event.
“More specifically, the report suggests the series had not received necessary approvals from the Hanoi Department of Culture, with authorities ordered to ‘strictly handle’ those involved if there is evidence of ‘disguised gambling’ being organized,” Inside Asian Gaming reported.
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