Last week, it was revealed that the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) stop at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles would lose its title sponsor. The show must go on, however, as the series is currently taking place and has become known as the Big Event. Poker News Daily sat down with Bicycle Casino’s Director of Marketing Kelley O’Hara to discuss the last-minute change.
O’Hara revealed that the event would continue as planned despite the exodus of PokerStars: “The event is scheduled and still going from March 5th to 10th, but it’s not an NAPT branded event. That turned out to be a voluntary decision to hold it without the branding because of the California gaming regulators. We value the relationship we’ve started with with the NAPT and I think the NAPT appreciates our spirit of partnership as well. We believe these events are good for our industry as a whole and we hope to continue with them.”
The Main Event, a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament, kicked off today at the Bike with the first of two starting days. O’Hara explained what issues California gaming regulators had: “They’re linked to PokerStars, and the lines are drawn on that issue. That’s a topic of discussion across the country no matter what state. We’re taking a conservative approach trying to honor their concerns and they’re doing the same thing.” At the time of writing, the Main Event’s Day 1A field numbered 240.
The PokerStars NAPT stopped off at the Bicycle Casino for the first time last November. Joe Tehan walked away with the top prize of $725,000 in the Main Event after besting a field of 701 players, while UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin triumphed in the 81-man Bounty Shootout. The former lost its ESPN coverage this year as a result of the NAPT’s pullout, but the $10,300 Bounty Shootout will still air on the cable sports station and film between March 10th and 12th.
On why PokerStars’ involvement in NAPT L.A. didn’t derail November’s event, O’Hara told Poker News Daily, “Our California state regulators had new people coming into play, so it was put on the backburner at the time. I can’t say they were enthusiastic about it then, though.” PokerStars sent representatives to Los Angeles for this year’s tournament in order to assist players.
Could we see the NAPT head to another California gaming market like San Jose or to one of the state’s Indian casinos? O’Hara weighed in: “We have an exclusive in the L.A. market, but I’m sure they’re pursuing other venues. It’s a great state to put on a poker event. PokerStars wants to continue with these events and that’s their focus.” The next NAPT stop is scheduled for April 9th to 13th at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
Last July, Commerce Casino Board members Tom Malkasian and Haig Papaian issued a joint letter that dubbed internet gambling lobbying organizations “special interest groups receiving funds from illegal offshore gaming operators.” At a hearing in the House Financial Services Committee in July, Malkasian drew a comparison between the internet gaming industry and Tijuana drug cartels.
Malkasian and Papaian claimed to represent the opinions of not only the Commerce Casino, but also the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. Needless to say, the rift between online gaming sites and California’s brick-and-mortar casinos widened. O’Hara gave us the lay of the land today in the Golden State: “”It’s a heated issue, but the discussion continues, and that’s a good thing. It did affect Commerce’s event where Full Tilt was a much heavier player last year.”
On Monday night, look for the Pro Invitational on Live at the Bike. The popular web series will also provide coverage of the Main Event.
