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MGM tried and failed to enter the online gambling market several years back. Like MGM, Harrah's has planned to start offering its Internet gambling product in Europe where it will compete head on with the likes of Ladbrokes and William Hill.
Unlike MGM, Harrah's has a foothold in the industry already as the owners of the World Series of Poker. That being said, the WSOPE in its second year witnessed zero growth in Europe.
Not everyone in Vegas is on the cyber gambling bandwagon, writes Liz Benston of the Las Vegas Sun.
For years, members of the American Gaming Association, which lobbies on a federal level and has closely watched the debate over online gambling, have been split on the question.
The association's two largest members, Harrah's Entertainment and MGM Mirage, support some form of legalization.
Several members of the gaming association oppose the legalization and regulation of Web casinos, including Steve Wynn, who believes that Internet gambling can't be adequately policed and could embarrass the industry.
As a result, the association has been forced to adopt a neutral position on the issue.
Days before the 40th annual World Series of Poker kicked off in Las Vegas last month, Harrah's launched a subsidiary in Montreal to capitalize on the spread of Internet gambling, headed by Mitch Garber, the former CEO of PartyGaming. There have been rumors circulating that Harrah's will partner up with Party, the 4th largest online poker room in the world.
Couple that with MGM owning the largest customer list in the world and it's easy to see why Harrah's believes it can get a tremendous jump start in a tightly competitive multi billion dollar industry.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
