LAS VEGAS, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Series of
Poker (WSOP) today announced much-anticipated plans for 2021,
including the return of the live, in-person World Series of Poker
event and $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em
World Championship, best known as "The Main Event®".
World Series of Poker at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and
Casino
The world-famous tournament series, which experienced
record-smashing participation in 2019 and adjusted to a hybrid
format to accommodate 2020, will be back in-person at Rio
All-Suite Hotel & Casino this fall pending applicable state
and/or regulatory approvals. Cards will be in the air for a
diverse calendar of events beginning Thursday, Sept. 30 with all play concluding
on Tuesday, Nov. 23.
The 2021 opening weekend is expected to feature a special
charity event to benefit frontline health workers, a $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. and a $5 million GTD No-Limit Hold'em event billed as
"The Reunion."
Further details and specifics on the complete schedule will be
released this summer.
"The Main Event" is expected to begin Thursday, Nov. 4 and run through Wednesday,
Nov. 17. Players will have their choice of four starting
days on Thursday, Nov. 4,
Friday, Nov. 5, Saturday, Nov. 6, or Sunday Nov. 7. Players
participating on Thursday or Friday will have their Day 2 on
Monday, Nov. 8 if they survive the first day with chips.
Those selecting Saturday or Sunday for an opening flight will
play their Day 2 on Tuesday, Nov. 9,
with the fields combining on Wednesday, Nov.
10.
Hotel room reservations are now being accepted across Caesars
Entertainment's Las Vegas resorts,
including the headquarters at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino,
with rates as low as $60 for existing
Caesars Rewards members. Visit www.caesars.com using promo
code "WSOPM" to make your room reservations. Online
pre-registration won't open until this summer, after all events
have been determined and approved by regulators.
Specific COVID-19 safety protocols and other related 2021
tournament policies will be reviewed with gaming regulators in the
lead-up to the event. The World Series of Poker will be
compliant with all directives from the state of Nevada regarding social distancing and
capacity limits on the tournament dates.
"This year, more than ever, we embrace our role at the WSOP to
deliver memorable experiences and bring this community of poker
lovers back together. In 2021, the theme is, get vaccinated
and get back to Vegas," said Ty
Stewart, WSOP Executive Director.
WSOP Online 2021
Building off last summer's record-setting success for both
domestic and international online poker tournaments, WSOP plans to
fill the summer void with an exciting slate of WSOP Gold Bracelet
online events.
In 2020, WSOP.com's domestic series awarded nearly $27 million in prize money across its 31 events,
making it far and away the biggest online tournament series in the
history of U.S. regulated poker.
Similarly, WSOP Online 2020 was a massive draw for international
players in partnership with GGPoker, with the WSOP Online Main
Event smashing the Guinness Book World Record for largest online
poker tournament with a $27.5 million
prize pool for a single event. In total, nearly $150 million in prize money was awarded across
the festival, including seven-figure prize pools in 45 events,
making it amongst the biggest tournament series in history.
WSOP.com will hold the domestic tournaments on its All-American
Poker Network beginning Thursday, July
1, closing with a $1,000
championship. Qualification will be available for as little as
$1.
Complete information about the WSOP Online tournament schedule
will be released and published on www.wsop.com on April 15, 2021. Additional information on the
international component of WSOP Online 2021 will be published
shortly thereafter.
WSOP Europe 2021
WSOP Europe is expected to round out the year of poker action
with its return to King's Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic running from Friday, Nov. 19 through Tuesday, Dec. 8, subject to regulatory
approval.
"We hope and anticipate travel restrictions will ease by the
fall," said Stewart. "It's important to us that we have an
excellent tournament schedule available to our European
players."
The tournament is expected to include 15 gold bracelet events,
including a 10,000 euro buy-in WSOP
Europe Main Event and a 50,000 euro
High Roller event. For more information on King's Casino and
to book hotel rooms, visit https://kings-resort.com/.
Please note: The ability to hold a live,
in-person event will be subject to the state of the public health
emergency due to COVID-19 and all applicable health, safety, and
regulatory approvals, guidelines, and restrictions. WSOP reserves
the right to make appropriate modifications to this plan and to the
policies and procedures under which the tournament series may be
held.
About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of
Poker® is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in
the world, having awarded more than $3.29
billion in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet,
globally recognized as the sport's top prize. Featuring a
comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation,
the WSOP is poker's longest-running tournament in the world, dating
back to 1970. In 2019, the event attracted 187,298 entrants
from 118 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel &
Casino in Las Vegas and awarded
more than $293 million in prize
money. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in
broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while
successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent of
WSOP Europe in 2007 and the WSOP Asia-Pacific in 2013 and the WSOP
International Circuit Series in 2015. All WSOP events are subject
to the then-current and applicable WSOP tournament rules. For more
information, please visit www.wsop.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking
statements include statements regarding our strategies, objectives
and plans for future development or acquisitions of properties or
operations, as well as expectations, future operating results and
other information that is not historical information. When used in
this press release, the terms or phrases such as "anticipates,"
"believes," "projects," "plans," "intends," "expects," "might,"
"may," "estimates," "could," "should," "would," "will likely
continue," and variations of such words or similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although our
expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith
and with what we believe is a reasonable basis, there can be no
assurance that these expectations, beliefs and projections will be
realized. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could
cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed
in the forward-looking statements which are included elsewhere in
this press release. These risks and uncertainties include: (a) the
effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency, including (i) the
extent and duration of the impact of the global COVID-19 public
health emergency and measures to contain the public health
emergency or mitigate its impact on the Company's business,
financial results and liquidity; (ii) the ability of the Company to
modify its operations to comply with various state, tribal and
local directives, mandates, and orders; (iii) the impact of actions
the Company has undertaken to reduce costs and improve efficiencies
to mitigate losses as a result of the COVID-19 public health
emergency, which could negatively impact guest loyalty and our
ability to attract and retain our employees; and (iv) changes and
instability in global, national and regional economic activity and
financial market activity as a result of the COVID-19 public health
emergency and the impact on consumer discretionary spending and
travel; (b) the possibility that the proposed acquisition of
William Hill and the announced and proposed dispositions are not
consummated on the expected terms or at all; (c) risks related to
the Merger of the Company and CEC and the proposed acquisition of
William Hill and the integration of their respective businesses and
assets; (d) potential adverse reactions or changes to business or
employee relationships, including those resulting from the
completion of the Merger and the proposed acquisition of William
Hill; (e) the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the
Merger and the proposed acquisition of William Hill, including cost
savings and expected synergies, are not realized when expected or
at all; (f) risks associated with increased leverage and additional
rental expense resulting from debt financing undertaken in
connection with the Merger and the proposed acquisition of William
Hill and real estate transactions undertaken in connection with the
Merger; (g) competitive responses to the Merger and the proposed
acquisition of William Hill; and (h) additional factors discussed
in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations" in the Company's and CEC's respective most recent
Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other
unknown or unpredictable factors may also cause actual results to
differ materially from those projected by the forward-looking
statements.
In light of these and other risks, uncertainties and
assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this press
release might not occur. These forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently
made available on our website or otherwise, and we do not intend to
update publicly any forward-looking statement to reflect events or
circumstances that occur after the date on which the statement is
made, except as may be required by law.
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SOURCE Caesars Entertainment