The WPTAC will award multiple main events, boot camps, cruises, and much more to its winners. Tropicana Las Vegas and WPTAPL qualify players from participating leagues and venues around the world who want to advance their members and patrons to this event. This new partnership will allow for an attractive range of special joint offers from the two companies, including discounts and special tournaments available to WPTAPL members throughout the year.

Both companies expressed excitement about the partnership. “It’s an exceptional combination of best-in-class brands, and Tropicana is honored to be considered home to the thousands of WPTAPL members,” said Tom McCartney, president and COO of Tropicana Las Vegas.

Shane McCullough, executive vice president of WPTAPL, commented: “This WPTAC will be the largest event of its kind, making Tropicana Las Vegas a truly unique destination for poker lovers and WPTAPL members.”

More information on this partnership and how to qualify for the event is available at www.WPTAPL.com. Tropicana Las Vegas and WPTAPL want to give players a chance to be the next WPT Poker-Made Millionaire™.

“Poker players deserve to know the real facts so let us be clear: We support online poker and we are working hard to make sure it will benefit all Americans. America’s poker community should be united in opposing the Frank legislation that would ship jobs, revenue and taxes beyond our communities. We need to work together to keep American dollars at home.

Federal and state regulation of online poker is coming. To date, there have been more than 45 federal Internet gambling bills proposed and 60 state bills in the U.S. We can either fight to ensure that poker players’ interests are legitimately protected or allow illegal foreign operators, who are siphoning millions of American dollars out of this country, to dominate the U.S. market.

As owners and managers of the state’s tax-paying, law-abiding, regulated card rooms, we employ more than 20,000 Californians; generate millions in salaries and benefits; goods and services purchased from local businesses; and tax revenues to our local communities and the state.

In 2008, the California Public Policy Institute estimated that 70 percent of Californians were Internet users. According to another study in 2009, Californians wager an estimated $13.4 billion annually. That makes California the largest Internet gaming market in the world, and without state legislation to protect it, critically-needed billions will be captured by offshore and out-of-state operators never to return.

California card rooms have been on the leading edge of establishing poker’s prominence on a worldwide basis for more than a century. The Golden State’s track record for introduction of new games and technology is unmatched. Texas Hold’Em, Omaha, Seven-Card and Five-Card Stud, Crazy Pineapple, Mexican and Chinese Poker were all pioneered and promoted to the global status they occupy today by California card rooms.

Nevada casinos, offshore companies and Washington insiders don’t want California to benefit from its own market. Our economic future is not their concern. We support free enterprise, fair competition and the principle that what plays in California, stays in California.

In addition, we oppose the Frank bill because it would authorize all types of gaming. We strongly support poker-only legislation.California lawmakers should be the first to bring an illegal enterprise under legal supervision, provide needed consumer protections and capture revenue that can benefit our state first. California must act before the end of the year to protect its own economy to keep market predators out and California dollars in. We believe poker players, informed with the facts, will support our stand.

Royal Vegas Online Casino makes use of 128-bit SSL (Single Socket Layer) digital encryption, effectively sporting the same security systems that one would find in online banks. These systems are maintained at optimum efficiency, ensuring that security breaches are non-existent while effectively giving players the peace of mind needed to enjoy an archetypal online casino experience.

The range of player-friendly features available at Royal Vegas Online Casino is ongoing; in addition to superb, cutting-edge systems that safeguard transactions, players will also have a wide variety of payment methods to enjoy. Royal Vegas Online Casino sports the classical credit and debit card facilities that include Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club, then capitalises further on variety by introducing 16 alternate payment methods, or ‘web wallets’. These online payment methods are sponsored by trusted, recognised electronic merchants, and have enjoyed a beneficial relationship with Royal Vegas Online Casino and its players since the casino first began operating.

To see this regal online gambling portal and its impressive facilities in action, casino fans are encouraged to visit the Royal Vegas Online Casino and experience the action firsthand.

With buy-ins as low as $5.50 the PokerStars Women’s Poker League will run until the end of this year, awarding points for results. The players with the most points at the end of each month and ultimately at the end of the year will win some fantastic prizes, with cash and PokerStars Ladies Luxury Event packages up for grabs.

The way the competition works is simple. Every day tournaments will run at 13.10 ET and 21:10 ET respectively. Points will be awarded in each tournament, ranging from 20 points for first place down to 10 points for ninth place. Those cashing will receive five points while everyone who enters will receive one point towards their total.

At the end of the month prizes will be awarded in two categories, US Dollars and Euros. The player at the top of each points table will receive $300/200 Euros, with cash prizes paid down to 50th place.

At the end of the year even bigger prizes will be awarded to those who have performed well month on month. Top of the table will receive $1,500/1,000 Euros plus a Ladies Luxury Event package, with second place receiving $1,000/700 Euros.

Players will be able to keep track of their progress on a special rankings page on PokerStars that will be updated regularly, and new players can take advantage of a 100% welcome bonus when they open a PokerStars account, making it a perfect time to start playing on the world’s largest poker site.

“I am really looking forward to playing in an EPT event held in my new home town,” commented Austrian Team PokerStars Pro Johannes Steindl. “I have been living in Vienna for three months and it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I’ll be playing my best game to try and take home the €500,000 guaranteed first prize!”

Vienna is a cultural capital of Europe, once home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Johann Strauss, not to mention Hedy Lamarr and Maria von Trapp. Expect plenty of local poker talent to converge on the Austrian capital, including Team PokerStars Pros Sebastian Ruthenberg and Sandra Naujoks, along with Austrian-born team member Johannes Steindl and PokerStars SportStar Boris Becker.

EPT Season 7 will kick off next week in the beautiful Estonian capital of Tallinn, with a six day, €4,250 event running from August 11-16. Following on from there the tour will visit the stunning Algarve resort of Vilamoura. Here, as well as the six day, €5,300 Main Event, players will be able to take part in an exciting new two day challenge competing on the green grass of the golf course as well as the green felt of the poker tables in the ‘Fairways and Felts Challenge’.

The offering is part of Dragonfish’s agreement with Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment (HIE), and follows the successful launch of a real money WSOP-branded site to UK customers.

The new free play poker software is available in the United States where it can be downloaded at www.WSOP.com. It utilises Dragonfish’s new Poker 6 software upgrade. The upgrade provides a more contemporary look and feel, along with a selection of new intuitive features in the main lobby and tournament lobby, with enhanced functionality and usability on the tables.

Further building on the HIE relationship, Dragonfish is set to launch a real-money WSOP Casino offering to the UK market, followed by an additional Harrah’s casino brand and separate bingo brand in the future. In order to maintain the consistency of the Caesars brand platform, Caesars Casino will be operated by the incumbent provider to Caesars Bingo.

Gigi Levy, Acting Managing Director of Dragonfish and CEO of 888 Holdings, said

WSOP is a pre-eminent brand in poker worldwide, and this free play option will give US players the opportunity to experience a quality poker product tailored to their local market. The launch of further Harrah’s brands in the UK provides exciting opportunities for the future.

Additional celebrities will be announced closer to the two-day event that offers prizes including a seat in the 2011 World Series of Poker, an all expense paid trip to a Hawaiian resort and a seat in the T.J. Cloutier Choctaw Casino Classic.

The Shawn Marion Foundation was established by Dallas Mavericks Forward Shawn Marion and will receive 100% of the tournament proceeds. The funds will be used to continue the organization’s mission to provide life-changing opportunities and experiences to single parent families.

“The issue of single parent homes is a situation that is very close to my heart,” said Shawn Marion. “It is an honor that Choctaw Casino Resort understands the severity of this crisis and is helping me use the popularity of Poker to spread the work and help others.”

According to Frank Converse, Choctaw Casino Resort poker manager, “It’s a privilege to partner with Shawn Marion. We believe in his foundation’s mission and are excited to welcome players ready to compete and give to a greater cause at the same time.”

Choctaw Casino Resort’s new Poker Lounge houses 30 poker tables, more than 20 flat screen TVs and a private lounge that now offers full bar service.

In February, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma celebrated the grand opening of the new $300 million Choctaw Casino Resort located in Durant, Oklahoma. Billed as Oklahoma’s newest premium destination, the Choctaw Casino Resort offers guests 110,000 square feet of gaming space which houses about 3,000 slot machines and 38 table games including Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Pai Gow Poker, Mini Baccarat and Roulette.

If it’s not gaming guests are after, the 204,000 square feet of hospitality space provides a relaxing experience with 330 hotel rooms, an indoor/outdoor pool, fitness center and spa. The Choctaw Casino Resort also offers multiple dining experiences, from a four-venue food court to a 400-seat buffet and three other sit-down options.

For more information on the Shawn Marion Celebrity Poker Tournament or the Choctaw Casino Resort, visit their www.choctawcasinos.com.

“The Bellagio Cup has been a wonderful event for us and has produced some great champions,” said Mike Sexton. “Kevin Saul, Mike Watson, and Alex Gomes have solidified their status as professional players at this stop and we are eager to see who will become our next Champion.”

As part of a season-long series of enhancements to this year’s WPT, many of which will be announced in the days leading up to the Bellagio Cup VI, WPT Commentators Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten are back on the tournament trail for Season IX, starting with the first “shuffle up and deal” and providing live commentary at each final table.

The final table will take place Thursday, July 15, one day earlier than the initially scheduled, inside the Fontana Lounge beginning at 4 p.m. Spectators are encouraged to arrive by 3 p.m. as seating is limited and guests are admitted on a first come, first served basis.

Recently added to the full Bellagio Cup VI schedule is a $500 + $400 satellite tournament which awards the winner a seat into the next WPT tournament: The Bicycle Casino’s WPT Legends of Poker. The satellite will take place Wednesday July 14 at 2 p.m. inside the Bellagio Poker Room. WPT Legends of Poker runs August 20-25 and is a $4,800 + $200 event.

Visit www.WorldPokerTour.com often for updates on WPT Season IX and event coverage provided by WPT Live Updates.

Cake Poker is pleased to launch their new Gold Card promotion – Match & Win – on July 1, offering players the chance to win over $30K. Match & Win is a fun and easy promotion – players simply match Gold Cards from their collections to Cake Poker’s game board to win. The game board will change every month, and offer up to 10 opportunities to cash in for prizes that include cash, bonus cash, tournament tickets and Gold Chips.

Card Room Manager Lee Jones notes, “This is what we love to do at Cake Poker – make it easy and fun for our players to win big. We expect Match & Win to become one of our more popular promotions.”

With WSOP winners now playing at the Rio or on their way to the main event, Cake Poker is launching satellites to the English Poker Open which plays at London’s swanky Palm Beach casino in the heart of Mayfair, September 11th to 14th, 2010. Cake Poker will be running daily satellites leading to a weekly Sunday 4 PM ET qualifier with the top prize of a $7,000 English Poker Open prize package. Prize Pack winners will earn a seat in the EPO main event and $1,650 cash to help with travel. 2010’s event is the second annual English Poker Open, which boasts a guaranteed $1 Million prize pool (USD).

In July Cake Poker will be continuing the Gold Stacks Cash Grab, a promotion which significantly enhances the Gold Stacks loyalty program. During July all Super Turbo prizes pay out 50% more! With no cap on winnings, supremely dedicated players can grab up to $515 paydays per Stack! For more details, as well as examples of potential payouts, players can visit Cake Poker.

Finally, Cake Poker is bringing back Turbo Gold Cards. Cake will be releasing gold cards TWICE as often, every Friday and Saturday through August 1st. This will give players a chance to build up their Gold Card collections for Match & Win and other great Gold Card promos to come.

Players of all levels call Cake Poker home, as it’s one of online poker’s most rewarding sites. For more information on all of Cake Poker’s unique promotions and reward programs visit Cake Poker.

In order to claim this top honor, players who participate in Mohegan Sun daily poker tournaments (major and special tournaments not included) will receive 1 promotional point for their participation in each tournament. The player who accumulates the most promotional points and the cash game player who accumulates the most hours from July 1st through December 31st will be awarded Mohegan Sun’s Poker Player of the Year. Players can climb the leader board monthly by placing on final tables. The following promotional points will be awarded for top ten finishes:

• 1st = 15 Points
• 2nd = 9 Points
• 3rd = 8 Points
• 4th = 7 Points
• 5th = 6 Points
• 6th = 5 Points
• 7th = 4 Points
• 8th = 3 Points
• 9th = 2 Points
• 10th = 1 Point

Mohegan Sun’s Player of the Year will receive luxurious overnight accommodations at Mohegan Sun, a complimentary seat into a poker tournament and additional prizes.

Cash players will earn hours towards the promotion, each hour will have players on their way to Player of the Year.

On the way to the top, Mohegan Sun will also award Player of the Month. Each month the player who accumulates the most promotional points in tournaments and the most hours played in cash games will be named the players of the month. The winners will each receive a $75.00 comp to one of Mohegan Sun’s restaurants. Player of the Month promotional points and hours will be accrued beginning the first of the month and ending the last day of the month.

Tournament points and cash hours may not be combined. Ties will be determined by the total number of events played during the promotional month, year or quarter. For a complete schedule of daily poker tournaments, please visit mohegansun.com/playing/poker.