Online Poker Room offers: Empire Building

Published: Friday, December 24, 2004 Online-Casinos.com

EMPIRE BUILDING

Helping the baseball business...with a $500 million deal

Party Poker's Empire Poker has offered to finance baseball club Expos move to a Washington D.C. stadium for $500 Million.

The somewhat cynical Washington media reported this week that with a seperate deal to bring Major League Baseball to Washington apparently cratering last week, a "....civic-minded and no doubt extremely respectable Internet gambling company has stepped forward to try to save the day."

The reports go on to reveal that Empire Poker, which describes itself as "North America's leading online poker site," announced late last week that it would provide up to $500 million to "...prevent the would-be Washington Nationals from becoming the Lame Ducks."

The company would finance the team's move from Montreal to a new District stadium.

In return the Empire wants naming rights to the team's new field and the exclusive rights to all the advertising hoardings inside the stadium. It has also apparently proposed to put Internet kiosks throughout the stadium so fans can play electronic poker before, during and after the game.

Reports are that Empire hasn't heard back from baseball or city officials yet. But it's questionable whether Major League Baseball or the District government will want to get into business with a gambling company. Online gambling companies have in fact long sponsored Expos games in Montreal.

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