[MicroBob]

To be more technical about it....they wouldn't have so many hoops regarding their advertising.

I see partypoker.net and pokerstars.net (their play-money sites) on TV all the time.
They even had the stars ads during the super-bowl day PSI on NBCleading me to believe they could have some ads on the heads-up tourneys on NBC in May.


But obviously the WPT is going out of their way to try to keep the ads out now....and sites like Yahoo and Google stopped displaying ads for online-sites in April, 2004 (partly at the request of the DOJ).


So while they are kinda/sorta able to advertise now...legalization (preferrably in more than one state) to clear the way for less hoop-jumping with the advertising would be very helpful indeed.



And obviously allowing companies like Harrah's or Caesar's or whoever to get involved in the online-poker game via some server in North Dakota would be REALLY terrific.

Who cares if Partypoker decides to move to North Dakota or not?

How many more people would be willing to try online-poker via Harrahs.com.


Also - think about the play-money tables at ESPN.com right now (you earn points....and someone gets a seat to the WSOP...I'm told it's the same software as Bodog).

They have a big banner at the top of ESPN.com to play poker there. They are going to run all those WSOP-qualifier tourney-circuit things from AC and New Orleans and elsewhere (kind of their own WPT) as well as the WSOP coverage (including a championship event that might be up to 7000 freaking players).



I know a few people who say they have played on the play-money tables at Yahoo.com.

I don't know what kind of traffic these play-money tables get...have never even looked at them...but think of the possibilities of:
REAL MONEY POKER at ESPN.com and Yahoo.com


The traffic would be phenomenal.
In the very least...they would be willing to accept banner-ads from online-poker at harrahs.com (they currently don't have partypoker ads at ESPN.com for example....almost certainly due to the grey-area legal-status).



I don't think this North Dakota thing will answer all our prayers to online-poker...and may, in fact, create more problems than it solves....but there ARE possibilities for unbelieveable growth that are worth considering.