Does the Bellagio have online poker?
Bellagio is a famous casino located on the Las Vegas strip, owned by MGM Resorts International. While their brand name has a lot it could offer to online poker, its unlikely we’ll see a Bellagio branded online poker site in the immediate future. For starters, and this isn’t the primary reason, Bellagio’s parent company (MGM) is doing quite well on the land-based side of the casino business. In fact, MGM Resorts International is the second largest land-based gaming company in the world with over $6 billion in annual revenues. Their company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MGM) and owns 15 properties in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has 50% investment stake in four additional properties located in Nevada, Illinois and Macau, China.
The primary reason there isn’t a Bellagio online poker site is because even if MGM Resorts International had an interest in online gambling (we’re not sure if they do or don’t), they are headquartered, located, operated
from and traded in the United States. This forbids them under current law from operating an online gambling site. Many believe the current laws will change soon because in July 2010, HR2267 passed the US House Representatives Financial Services Committee by a 41-22 vote. If this or a similar bill eventually passes the full House, the Senate, and is signed into law by the president, the US will begin issuing gambling licenses for companies to legally operate US online poker sites.
Will Bellagio be the first US licensed Poker Site?
When the US starts issuing online gambling licenses, it seems MGM would have no problem being one of the first companies to obtain one. This is entirely hypothetical, but if they did receive a license would it make sense for them to launch MGM Poker, Bellagio Poker, Mirage Poker, or an entirely generic online poker brand. This is really a tough question. On one hand, MGM is a huge brand instantly recognized by most gamblers and industry members. An online poker site could most certainly benefit from holding the MGM brand name. Running a poker site is tough work though and would be uncharted waters for MGM. Their company might be better advised to build one of their other brands in case they want to make an, what would very likely be a very lucrative, exit from online gambling in the future. This is of course rather trivial at the point. Personally, while Mirage Poker would have worked at one time, the Mirage no longer packs the name it once did. This casino once one of the most luxurious locations on the strip is now literally surrounded by billion dollar casinos with the Venetian directly across the street, and Encore and Wynn within walking distance in one direction and Caesars and Bellagio within walking distance in the other. While Mirage is still a fine casino it is out classed and trumped by its neighbors no longer holding the same notoriety it once had. Considering MGM dropped Mirage from their company name in June 2010, this probably says enough.
Bellagio Poker Details
The brand that seems the most interesting for MGM Resorts International to build an online poker brand from is the Bellagio. After all, Bellagio has been the long time home to several annual World Poker Tour (WPT) events including the seasonal championships. They also host The Big Game in their live poker room Bobby’s Room, named after Bobby Baldwin. In this room you’ll find Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Patrik Antonius, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Allen Cunningham, Tom Dwan, Eli Elezra, Sammy Farha, Ted Forrest, Barry Greenstein, Gus Hansen, and Jennifer Harman battling it out with others in No Limit and Pot-Limit games where $100,000 can be bet per hand or fixed limit mixed games with stakes of $2,000/$4,000 or $4,000/$8,000. Bellagio is no doubt one of the most famous live poker rooms. Would it make sense for a Bellagio online poker site? Well it certainly makes sense to consider it, and it will be interesting to see what MGM’s move is once the US government starts issuing online gaming licenses.
We’ll be following any leads that might develop on MGM or Bellagio online poker, and update this page when such leads are discovered.