World Series of Poker Being Sued by Everest Poker
Everest Poker, an online poker venture, is suing to get out of a $22.5 million sponsorship deal with the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
A lawsuit was filed in federal court in Las Vegas on Thursday by Ultra Internet Media S.A. against the Harrah's Entertainment Inc. subsidiary that owns the World Series of Poker. Ultra is saying they are incorporated under the laws of Nevis, West Indies.
UIM says that in 2008 it agreed to sponsor the World Series of Poker for payments of $6.2 million for the 2008 tournament, $7.9 million for the 2009 tournament and $8.4 million for the 2010 tournament that begins May 27 at Harrah's Rio hotel-casino in Las Vegas.
But Ultra Internet Media is claiming that the WSOP breached the sponsorship deal by entering into a sponsorship with a French television affiliate that failed to display the Everest name and logo. Instead they featured a competitor, Full Tilt Poker.
The suit charges that officials with Harrah's, Everest and ESPN met at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., in February 2009 to discuss issues with the broadcasts and that "Harrah's and ESPN agreed to control their affiliate, RTL9, and require RTL9 to cease causing violations of the agreement during its broadcasts and transmissions into France."
But as recently as Feb. 14, 2010, the Full Tilt name and logo were included in a broadcast of a WSOP event into France by RTL9, the lawsuit charges.
"Every material breach of the agreement represents lost potential future profits, erosion of goodwill and compromise of UIM's international business reputation," charges the lawsuit, filed by attorneys with the Las Vegas law firm Marquis & Aurbach.
Seth Palansky, a spokesman for Harrah's Interactive Entertainment Inc. and Harrah's World Series of Poker, on Friday said the company had not been served with the lawsuit and would have no immediate comment on the allegations.
Ace King, Gambling911.com
