Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN AUG 2019 50 IN FOCUS important moment in poker history when the aptly named Chris Moneymaker topped a field of 839 starters to win the 2003 Main Event. As the story famously goes, Moneymaker – a struggling accountant at the time – qualified for the Main Event by winning a US$89 satellite tournament playing online which he then parlayed into victory in the world’s most prestigious event and a US$2.5 million payday. His success captured the imaginations of amateur players across the United States and resulted in a major spike in numbers in the ensuing years, climbing to 2,576 players in 2004, 5,619 in 2005 and 8,773 in 2006 when another brilliantly named persona, Jamie Gold, claimed the biggest ever Main Event prize of US$12 million. A flatter payout structure saw this year’s winner, Hossein Ensan, collect US$10 million for his efforts, however it is more than just the players who benefit from the modern-day behemoth that is the World Series of Poker. The WSOP brand, acquired by Caesars Entertainment (then known as Harrah’s) in 2004 as part of its US$37 million purchase of the Horseshoe Club Operating Company, has proved one of its more important assets during an otherwise difficult decade for the US casino giant. While Caesars, which runs the WSOP via its Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) arm, doesn’t provide specific financials on its annual poker festival, the company did reveal that the US$266 million it awarded in prize money in 2018 came after subtracting