Binion’s pulls poker contest from website

Thursday, April 10, 2003 | 11:19 a.m.

Binion's Horseshoe on Wednesday pulled from its website a contest to enter the casino's World Series of Poker over concerns that it could run afoul of a state law prohibiting lotteries.

Wednesday, the site offered a $49.95 promotion for a live webcast of the poker championship as well as a chance to win a seat at the $10,000-entry championship along with hotel accommodation at Binion's and limo transport.

It also offered the webcast for $29.95.

The contest offer wasn't listed today, leaving only the webcast deal.

Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander said regulators were tipped off by a newspaper reporter about the offer. The offer was removed from the website before the board could examine it fully, however, he said.

The board's attorneys are now examining the issue to determine whether there are legal problems with the offer as it was presented, he said.

State rules prohibit lottery offers. The federal government has also determined that Internet gambling is illegal, a decision that has implications for lottery-like offers on the Internet.

Representatives for Binion's and an attorney for the property could not be reached before press time.

The casino business is intensely competitive, with companies constantly testing the boundaries of the law, Neilander said.

"This happens in all kinds of contexts. You have to look at each one separately."

Last year, Binion's introduced a "play for fun" area of its website that was intended to serve as a first step to launching a real-money Internet casino for foreign bettors.

Company representatives couldn't be reached to determine the status of that Web service.