Poker Room Cellphone Games Making News

Published: Sunday, July 10, 2005 Online-Casinos.com

POKER ROOM CELLPHONE GAMES MAKING NEWS

US media features the new mobile gaming service

Poker Room.com seemed to be picking up a gratifying amount of free news publicity in the USA last week.

Typical of the editorial coverage the Swedish company was reaping was a report in Local 6 News which was given a massive added boost by appearing on the Yahoo site.

The article reported that Poker Room's Internet capable cell phone technology is putting casino-style gaming in U.S. gamblers' pockets, allowing real money wagering from anywhere they can get a phone signal.

While Americans have long been able to download casino-style cell phone games for fun, the Web site Poker Room.com has introduced a service that allows players to wager real money and gamble against live players.

"At this point, we only offer Texas Hold 'Em poker and slot machines," Pokerroom.com spokeswoman Ira Gladnikoff is quoted as saying in the piece. "With the new service, players can bet between 50 cents and $300 a hand."

Gladnikoff explained that if a player loses a phone connection while betting, the person is allowed 30 seconds to reconnect. "If you don't reconnect during the 30 seconds, your hand will automatically fold," she said.

"It's the casino in your pocket," CNET's Brian Cooley said, "Cell phones are personal, gambling is personal. They go together in consumer's minds. It's the next big thing."

It is estimated by 2009, Americans will dial up close to $20 billion in gaming business.

Not everyone is happy with the concept of cellphone gambling. The federal government wants to stop online gambling, and the National Council on Problem Gambling thinks the sheer convenience of cell phones will make it too easy to bet it all, Local 6 News reported.

"There's a whole host of risk factors," National Council on Problem Gambling spokesman Keith Whyte said. "I have no idea how an age limit could be verified now; nor how, even if the age limit was verified, that you could be certain who was using the phone."

Pokerrroom.com said it has gone to great lengths to verify age through credit card information and that its services are meant for grownups on the go.

The service is currently available on more than a dozen phone models sold in the United States and the company plans to add more compatible phones and games by the end of the year.