WPT Italy Tournament Deemed Success

5/19/2009 by Gaming Industry Media Staff

Both WPT Enterprises Inc. and Bwin Interactive Entertainment A.G. have called Italy's first World Poker Tour a "success."

Both WPT Enterprises Inc. and Bwin Interactive Entertainment A.G. have called Italy's first World Poker Tour a "success."

The event, which took place at Casino di Venezia in early May, attracted 397 players and included poker pros such as Carlos Mortensen, Vanessa Rousso, Chad Brown and Surinder Sunar.

At the close of the five-day tournament, Ragnar Astrom won $542,000, a $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship in Las Vegas and an official WPT bracelet.

"The combination of the online and offline player experience coupled with the information systems and being able to offer bets on the tournament adds a whole new dimension to both sides," said Manfred Bodner, Bwin's co-chief executive, in a prepared statement.

Steve Lipscomb, WPT Enterprises founder and chief executive, added that Bwin brought "unique elements" to the table.

"We hope to continue this level of success as we expand further into Italy, the rest of Europe and into other continents," he added.

At the tournament, Bwin introduced its "Live Tournament Information System" that provided real-time streaming information like leader boards and updates throughout the competition.

This tournament follows the closure of WPT China, which was discontinued in March 2009 because "cash needs to support the growth in this business were greater than the company was willing to expend," WPT Enterprises said in its first-quarter earnings report.