The World Series of poker is tipped to return to Las Vegas later this year after the flagship event was cancelled this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Coin Rivet reported on the cancellation, which was eventually confirmed in April after months of speculation.
It came after the likes of Doug Polk, Mike McDonald and Josh Reichard all took bets on the potential of the series be postponed.
The WSOP was expected to bring around 190,000 visitors to Las Vegas with the cancellation putting strain on the local casinos.
2020 WSOP Postponed :
The 51st World Series of Poker (WSOP), is officially being postponed as a result of the public health emergency involving COVID-19. It is now targeted for fall of 2020, with exact dates and events to be determined.
More details: https://t.co/iaYZgSGXr9 pic.twitter.com/UVL6PQwH96— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) April 20, 2020
According to reports, casinos like Treasure Island had hoped to re-open today on May 15 amidst murmurs of the lockdown being eased in Nevada.
Local businesses and casinos are understandably itching to after months of minimal revenue, although as detailed by Kings Resort in Czech Republic strict restrictions will be imposed.
Kings wrote in an announcement: “Highest hygiene standards will be implemented, such as hand sanitisers for the guests and frequent disinfection of all areas.”
It was also revealed that poker tables would be limited to four people, which could pose an issue if the WSOP was planning a full schedule later this year.
It is impossible to know where the world will be in a few months time in terms of the pandemic and lockdown measures, but as US President Donald Trump seems keen to restart the economy it would be safe to suggest that an event like the WSOP will go ahead with additional measures in place to ensure the safety of players.
With live poker taking a gruelling hit in light of the lockdown online poker has understandably endured a massive boom, with prize pools hitting record levels across all major providers like Pokerstars, partypoker and 888poker.
This boom has not been confined to Europe as allowed US states like New Jersey smashed its previous record with the industry taking $3.6 million in rake during March.
For updates on the World Series of Poker, click here.
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