Gary Thompson, World Series of Poker (WSOP) director, said this week that the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) will take place from June 1 through July 17 next year.
Thompson revealed that there are concerns about how the recently introduced Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will affect online qualifiers for the 2007 WSOP, but said there are several sites already offering ways for online players to win a seat to the Main Event.
Full Tilt Poker is just one site that has issued a statement that players can still qualify at the poker room for various live poker tournaments in the United States including World Poker Tour events and the WSOP.
Thompson said that the registration policy for the WSOP wasn’t changed by the enactment of the UIGEA.
“There has been no change in our registration policy,” he said. “We do not accept third-party registrations from online pay-to-play poker sites that do business with U.S. residents. We didn’t do that in 2005 or 2006 either. We continuously review our registration policy as part of our planning, and if any changes are made, we will make the appropriate announcements.”
However, despite this policy, approximately 75 percent of the players in the 2006 Main Event were sponsored by online poker sites. Generally, players who qualify online are registered and paid for by officials at the site where they won.
Commenting that the WSOP has set records in attendance and prizepools over the past two years, Thompson said: “We expect the 2007 WSOP to be the best ever.”