The Pokerdome, possibly the most ambitious poker project to date, may have met its match in the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Fox Sports Network is building the Pokerdome to house its groundbreaking poker game show, a joint project with online poker room MasionPoker.net, but it appears that the project may have hit some crippling red tape. The Board claims that Fox Sports had not contacted gaming regulators regarding the possibility of turning the dome into a home for poker tournaments. Network reps, on the other hand, say that they did propose the venue to gaming regulators, not as a “house of gambling," but rather as a studio in which to film a poker-based game show, emphasis on the game show.

While the distinction between the Board's definition and that of Fox Sports may not seem all that vast, the network believes that the issue is money. Network representatives claim that there was no need to seek a gaming license, as the games to be held at the Pokerdome would be run according to a game show format, i.e. with no money wagered. The Gaming Control Board, however, says that poker is poker is poker, money or no money, and thus, the network is required to obtain a gaming license.

Applying for such a license would be a near-impossible feat for Fox Sports, and would require the network to change the way it has conceived its Pokerdome project until now. According to the Board, the network would require a “nonrestricted gaming license," which demands that a facility, in addition to offering gaming, include a 200-room hotel, a restaurant, a bar with permanent seating, and a complete casino that stays open 24-7. This is not exactly what Fox Sports had in mind. Another constraint regarding applying for such a license is time. Receiving a license often takes several months, or even a year, and with the first tournament scheduled for May 20, a waiting period of that magnitude would simply be an impossibility.

To the network's benefit, the Pokerdome project has the support of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and other influential Las Vegans, who see it as a beacon hope for revitalizing for the downtown area. The Pokerdome is being built on the site of the publicly-funded Neonopolis movie theater/shopping mall complex, a major urban renewal project that came up short of its goal. The draw of the complex, which was originally designed to bring locals and tourists into the seedier downtown area, was minimal at best. The revolutionary Pokerdome could indeed be just what the “other side of Vegas" needs to tear poker fans away from the glitz of the Strip. The Pokerdome would occupy three of the Neonopolis' 17 movie theaters.

Should the poker project ultimately get the go-ahead, the Pokerdome could just be a big enough deal to bring people downtown. The first ever custom-designed poker arena, the Pokerdome would contain a 200-person audience for state-of-the-art poker action. A unique feature of the poker arena adding a new level excitement to the game, poker players would be able to neither see nor hear the audience, thanks to a one-way glass dome that would allow the audience to view the poker on the ground, without the poker on the ground viewing the audience.

Source: Poker777 Staff

Monday, 27 March 2006