Online poker is nowhere near finished, internet poker room insists

Despite the doom and gloom we've been reading about the past week, online poker is nowhere near finished and one internet poker room has made this abundantly clear.

BetHoldEm.com, which operates under the BetWWTS.com (and BetCorp) umbrella, is going nowhere.

"We're not folding up shop and we're not changing how we do business," a company spokesperson reassured. 

BetWWTS.com has operated privately since 1992 and began trading on the Australian Stock Exchange three years ago.  This year, its parent company, BetCorp, moved to the London AIM.

"My crystal ball is in the shop right now so I can't look in the future to see how the American situation will work out, but right now we're just taking it one day at a time. So far it's really just your classic U.S. move. To stop something they go after the money flow. Because if you want to do some damage, you hit 'em where it will hurt the most… the wallet.

"Don't worry though. Our wallets are still pretty full. We've got money to keep business operational and more importantly to our customers we've got the money needed to pay them when they hit that jackpot hand that's just around the corner."

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And the official statement from BetHoldEm:

Some of our players have voiced concern about recent legal developments in the United States and the decision of some other poker rooms to close accounts of those players located in the United States.

BetHoldem wants to assure you that we are legally licensed and regulated in Antigua. We are licensed to offer its services to anyone in the world. Your experience at BetHoldem will remain unchanged in the foreseeable future. All player accounts are 100% safe and you will have access to these funds on demand.

We thank you for playing at BetHoldem and we hope you continue to enjoy your poker experience at BetHoldem. If you have any further questions we will be happy to answer them. See you at the tables playing the game that we all love.

BetHoldEm.com flagship sister sportsbook brand BetWWTS.com is one of Gambling911.com's premiere certified sportsbooks

Payton O'Brien, Gambling911.com Marketing Director and Entertainment Columnist, has disclosed that BetWWTS.com is among the site's highest paying advertisers.

"They pay a premium to be listed on Gambling911.com," she said.  "If they were to leave the US market, we would most certainly feel it."

Gambling911.com will be announcing at least one new advertiser in the coming week.

VIP.com and its sister sites, Nine.com and BetGameDay.com, have announced their parent company, Leisure & Gaming, will be pulling out of the US market.  Gambling911.com, however, is confident that these brands will enter into the private sector.  All three brands are represented on Gambling911.com.

"A loss of these brands would hurt advertising revenue at Gambling911.com," she said.

Gambling911.com had already slashed its 2007 forecast numbers in half last week following news of a bill passing through Congress September 30 that would cause some disruption in payment processing where credit cards are concerned.

"Gambling911.com has always prided itself in trying to foresee obstacles ahead," O'Brien said.  "One concern over the next year - more so than banking - will be ISP's ability to block online gambling sites.  While the ACLU and other organizations would most certainly step in to prevent this as they did in New Mexico during the late 1990's, the effect would be disruptive over the short haul."

Gambling911.com will be opening a new office November 1 on Miami Beach and is planning a party during Super Bowl weekend to mark the occasion. 

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Alejandro Botticelli, www.gambling911.com

Originally published October 10, 2006 11:00 am ET