DTD delayed again

Dog-in-the-manger tactics from competitors who themselves are not all operational has again stalled the big opening of Rob Yong's Dusk Til Dawn land poker club in Nottingham, UK.

Originally scheduled to open in November 2006, delays have plagued Dusk Till Dawn which has been on the drawing board since April 2005. The luxury venue will be 21 000 square foot in area, accommodating up to 500 players, making it probably the largest land poker venue in Europe.

The latest hurdle comes in the form of objections from three casino operators in the city, and could result in DTD having to wait until September to open its doors to an eager audience of whom 3 000 have already applied to become members.

Competing operators, two of which aren't yet open themselves, placed objections during a Nottingham Magistrates Court hearing last week, resulting in the card club being denied a licence.

The grounds for complaint was a claim that there isn't enough demand for a card room in the area, but Rob Yong, Dusk Till Dawn managing director, said the club has already had more than 3 000 applications for membership.

"We have already recruited all of the key staff, and the premises are ready," said Yong in a statement on the Dusk Till Dawn web site, "but each month that we are delayed will cost a further GBP 100 000 in wages and running costs."

Yong remains undeterred by the delays: "I have never made anyone redundant in my life, and am committed to seeing this through until the end," he said.

The online poker site DTDPoker.com continues to enjoy widespread popularity and is powered by Cryptologic.