While I was writing up rumor of Penn National’s purchase of the Rio in Las Vegas, I saw a tweet wondering where the World Series of Poker (WSOP) will move.
Harrah’s owns the hosting rights to the location of the WSOP. If this deal is put into motion quickly location will likely be moved from the Rio, unless that is part of the deal Penn National makes with Harrah’s.
Let’s assume that this deal happens quickly and rights remain with Harrah’s and the WSOP moves. Where does the WSOP go?
Most people, and my initial thought, is that the WSOP is a natural to move to Caesars Palace. Caesars Palace is the flagship casino for Harrah’s in Las Vegas.
However, there may be a thought to use the WSOP to raise the visibility of another property. Here are some possibilities.
Planet Hollywood isn’t much of a poker oriented casino, but it’s a coo, hip spot and the bright and shiny star of the Harrah’s empire. It’s also been set up to host special events such as movie premiers and TV events. Going to Planet Hollywood would also allow for Caesars Palace to keep their Heads Up Poker/NBC alignment.
Paris (and Bally’s) is another option. Paris is just down the list of Harrah’s property priority scale. Barry Manilow and Pussy Cat Dolls are possibly going to add a little life to the property. Adding the WSOP would add even more shine on Paris. Because it’s connected with Bally’s you have a very large selection of rooms attached to one area.
I think Caesars Palace is top of the list to get the WSOP from Harrah’s, but I could see it going somewhere else as leverage to bring people to other properties. I’m a little past my poker prime, but I’m a marketing guy and curious to see what happens here.