Gold Strike Poker Strikes Out

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Gold Strike Poker

One of America's legal online poker rooms may be facing legal problems of a different kind.

Gold Strike Poker (www.goldstrikepoker.net), which opened last year and which operates out of Blaine, Washington, USA, is a legal online poker room because it operates under the so-called "subscription" business model--players pay a $20 monthly membership fee to join the room and then can play in free poker tournaments that offer cash prizes.

Because no money is ever risked by players, the scheme is not considered gambling, so Gold Strike Poker has not been bothered.

By the authorities, that is.

It may be a different story with a competitor, however.

There's a land-based casino in Tunica, Mississippi, USA, called the Gold Strike Casino, and it had the name "Gold Strike" first.

So don't surprised if before too long, the Mississippi casino sues the online poker room for trademark infringement.

And if it does, it likely will win.

There's plenty of ample precedent that says so.

When the Internet first became popular about 15 years ago, a plethora of online casinos and sportsbooks sprung up on the Net.

In order to establish identities for themselves, many of those casinos and books took names that were identical or similar to established land-based casinos in Las Vegas and elsewhere.

And, the thinking went, if consumers were confused into thinking that there was some kind of affiliation between the legitimate land-based casinos and their bogus online namesakes, so much the better.

But eventually the scam caught up to the scamsters.

The Vegas casinos and others fought back.

In court.

And won.

The first big court case was about a dozen years ago, when the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas sued the Costa Rica-based Internet casino Rio Online Casino for trademark infringement, won the case and shut it down.

Shortly thereafter, the parent company of Las Vegas casino Circus Circus sued a German online casino called Circus Casino and won and shut it down.

Also equally successful at the time were the owners of the Aladdin Casino in Vegas, who successfully sued and shut down a British online casino also called Aladdin Casino.

Since then, online casinos and online sportsbooks with rip-off names such as Gold Nugget Online Casino, Casares, Mint Casino, Las Vegas Club Sportsbook, Grand Online Casino, Mystic Dunes Casino, Grand Riviera Online Casino, Dunes Sports, Parisian Casino, Trump Card Online Casino, Bellagio Casino, Sands of the Caribbean, Flamingo Club Online Casino, Taj Mahal Online Casino and Casino Monte Carlo have all come and gone.

Some had to be sued to be shut down, while others shut down before they were sued.

It's only a matter of time for the Gold Strike Poker online poker room.

The only reason it hasn't been sued yet is likely because the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica doesn't know about it.

But eventually it will, as the online room recently started a massive ad campaign on TV and in magazines to promote awareness of its brand.

Unfortunatley what it's promoting is also its doom.

By Tom Somach

Gambling911.com Staff Writer

tomsomach@yahoo.com

Submitted by Thomas Somach on Tue, 05/31/2011 - 23:28
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Comments

Re: Gold Strike Poker Strikes Out

Thu, 04/26/2012 - 18:44 — Guest
I KNOW THE OWNERS OF THIS SITE AND THEY ARE CONS AND THIEVES! THE OWNER STOLE THE MONEY "MILLIONS FROM THE INVESTORS " AND PARTIED UP AND GOT STONED WHILE HE RAN A BAD FORM OF BUSINESS. MY ADVICE WOULD BE STAY FAAR AWAY FROM ANY NEW VENTURE THESE PEOPLE MAY START UP AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. WHEN YOU KNOW HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS INVESTORS MAKE MONEY NOT LOSE AND THE SUBCRIBERS DONT GET RIPPED OFF FROM JOHN THE OWNER!

Re: Gold Strike Poker Strikes Out

Thu, 08/25/2011 - 02:57 — Guest
I won $16.00 in their free rolls and now they are trying to weasel out of paying me. At first they said it would take 6 to 8 weeks to send a check. Now they have blocked me from playing saying that I live in Alabama and am not eligible to play legally on the site. I am from California and NEVER said I was from Alabama anywhere on their site. They have demanded I send them a photo copy of my drivers license (I did) and a copy of a GOVERNMENT issued utility bill (impossible since I get my energy from a private company). I think they are scam artists and have no intention of sending me my money. If they are this difficult to collect $16.00 dollars from, I would not waste my time or pay them to join.

Re: Gold Strike Poker Strikes Out

Thu, 11/03/2011 - 19:21 — Guest
The problem you are having being blocked out of play most likely stems from your server. Especially if you are wireless. The IP address of the computer you are using is registering you as residing in Alabama. Contact GoldRushPoker.net, specifically Aaron in accounting. You may call him at 360-332-1805 or email him at accounting@goldrushpoker.net. It may take a few days to straighten out but you will receive your money! I have been with them for a year now and always get my checks.

Re: Gold Strike Poker Strikes Out

Tue, 07/26/2011 - 03:26 — Guest
Total Bull**** if they went after pay as you play then they will go after this site and others like it. You are still PAYING and LOSING money each and every month. To the tune of 19.95 at least per month. What happens if you don't play at all that month??? Then what?? Oh that's right their asses will still bill you for that money. Only legal poker rooms in the U.S. that won't get pinched are sweepstakes laws based poker sites. They pay out and take in under states that have sweepstakes laws and have to abide by those rules and structures. Penny ante maybe a thousand or two but that's it. Gone are the days of million dollar free rolls and buy ins. God bless the senate members who support legalization across america and lets hope the one's who don't die of heart attacks. Including our joke of a president who despite publically admitting not once in campaigning but then again in an interview to playing poker in ILLINOIS where supposedly no online gambling or poker playing (outside of a casino, state lottery or sweepstakes/raffle) can be done and no one does anything to legalize it. At least they aren't arresting people either so that's one small victory. Time will tell.........

Re: Gold Strike Poker Strikes Out

Thu, 06/02/2011 - 00:40 — Guest
Circus Casino is still alive and online.. www.circuscasino.com unless you were talking about another one there.