There are already plenty of huge companies that are either involved in the US online poker market or looking to establish themselves. 888, Amaya Gaming, bwin.party and Caesars Entertainment are all big names that headline the market. But if speculation by a recent Forbes report is true, Yahoo could be the next giant to throw their hat into the US iPoker ring. That said, let’s discuss their new Hold’em game along with what their future plans could be.
Another Social Poker Portal
Much like Zynga before them, Yahoo has launched a Texas Hold’em portal that emphasizes colorful graphics and social elements. And play money chips with no monetary value are used in these games. This helps them stay in compliance with most state laws while establishing their poker brand around the country. Currently, Yahoo has been advertising the new Texas Hold’em portal on their fantasy football homepage. And this is no surprise since fantasy sports and poker games are fairly natural regarding cross-promotional efforts.
Moving to Real Money Poker?
Marc Edelman, a law professor at the City University of New York’s Baruch College, speculates that Yahoo launched their play money app ahead of plans to enter the real money US market. Their options include either waiting for more states to regulate iPoker or quickly applying for an iGaming license in Delaware, Nevada and/or New Jersey.
Edelman also explains how Yahoo has become a master at monetizing their fantasy football and basketball operations by selling ad space to companies like Toyota. So they should have little trouble doing the same with their Texas Hold’em game – no matter if they choose to go the real money route or just continue offering play money tables.