World Poker Tour(R) Goes North of the Border for North American Poker Championship - Names Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort as Newest International Site
Overlooking One of The World's Natural Wonders, The Niagara Fallsview Casino
Will Play Host to October WPT Event
LOS ANGELES, May 4 /CNW/ -- Daniel Negreanu, Gavin Smith,
Bill Edler and Evelyn Ng may be the most illustrious Canadian poker players on
the world stage, but come October the WORLD POKER TOUR(R) will offer a look at
who else might be Canadian stars-in-the-making when the Tour inaugurates its
first stop north of the border at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. The
WPT has selected Canada's luxurious new gaming mecca, overlooking the famous
Niagara Falls, as the site of its third annual North American Poker
Championship, October 25-29.
The elegant Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort is the premier casino and
resort facility in Canada, with 3,000 slot machines, 150 gaming tables and a
dedicated poker room, a 368-room luxury hotel, a full-service spa and fitness
facility, a 1,500-seat showroom, 30,000 square feet of convention, conference
and meeting space, a wide selection of restaurants and boutiques and one of
the most famous and spectacular views in the world.
"By staging the North American Poker Championship in this beautiful
Canadian casino, we put out the welcome mat for all poker enthusiasts in
Canada and truly lay down the gauntlet to see who can reign supreme on the
continent," said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc.
(Nasdaq: WPTE). "We are thrilled to welcome the Niagara Fallsview to the WPT
family and look forward to an inspiring and exciting event that will attract
players from both sides of the border."
Niagara Fallsview marks the third international location on the WPT
tournament calendar for Season V, joining Paris' Aviation Club (Grand Prix de
Paris) and the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas (Pokerstars'
Caribbean Adventure).
"All of us at the Fallsview Casino are very excited to be working with the
WPT to bring a premiere International Poker event like this to Canada," said
Fallsview General Manager Steve Wolstenholme. "Our casino is ready to lay out
the red carpet for the WPT, the players, and the fans as they join us here in
Niagara Falls. We plan to make the Fallsview Casino Resort the home of the
premiere poker events in Canada and will have some other exciting
announcements to make in the coming weeks about our plans with the WPT moving
forward."
Season V begins and ends in Las Vegas, kicking off at The Mirage Poker
Showdown May 14, 2006 and concludes April 27, 2007 at Bellagio for the
exciting and much heralded WPT World Championship.
The WPT launched the poker phenomenon when it first aired on the Travel
Channel on March 30, 2003, and it continues to lead the way in developing
poker as a major international sport. Viewers and aspiring tour players can
log on to www.worldpokertour.com for ways to improve their game and to get the
latest WPT schedules, information and merchandise. The highest rated show ever
on The Travel Channel, the WPT is now seen in more than 147 countries and
territories worldwide. WORLD POKER TOUR(R) airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m.
EST/PST on the Travel Channel in the U.S.
World Poker Tour Season V Tournament Schedule
Tournament Name Hosting Casino / Location Date
The Mirage The Mirage, May 14 - 17, 2006
Poker Showdown Las Vegas
Mandalay Bay Mandalay Bay, June 4 - 8, 2006
Poker Championship Las Vegas
Grand Prix de Paris Aviation Club de France, June 12 - 16, 2006
Paris
Legends of Poker The Bicycle Casino, August 26 - 30, 2006
Los Angeles
Borgata Poker Open The Borgata, September 15 - 19, 2006
Atlantic City, NJ
North American Niagara Fallsview
Poker Championship Casino Resort October 25 - 29, 2006
World Poker Finals Foxwoods Resort Casino, November 11 - 14, 2006
Mashantucket, CT Final Table
November 16, 2006
Bellagio Five Diamond Bellagio, December 15 - 19, 2006
World Poker Classic Las Vegas
PokerStars.com PokerStars.com, Atlantis, January 6 - 13, 2007
Caribbean Adventure Paradise Island, Bahamas (tentative dates)
World Poker Open Gold Strike Casino, January 21 - 25, 2007
Tunica, MS
L.A. Poker Classic Commerce Casino, February 15 - 20, 2007
Los Angeles
WPT Invitational Commerce Casino, February 22 - 24, 2007
Los Angeles
Bay 101 Shooting Star Bay 101, February 27 - March 3, 2007
San Jose, CA
World Poker Challenge Reno Hilton, Reno, NV March 26 - 29, 2007
WPT World Championship Bellagio, Las Vegas April 21 - 27, 2007
Two additional tournaments to be confirmed at a later date.
About WPTE
WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE) is a company engaged in the creation
of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by the
development, production, and marketing of televised programming based on
gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour(R), a television
show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that airs on the
Travel Channel in the United States and more than 147 markets globally. With
the WPT in its fifth season, WPTE has launched a second series on the Travel
Channel, the Professional Poker Tour(TM), which focuses on the play of poker's
leading stars. WPT Enterprises currently licenses its brand to companies in
the business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing,
electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino games,
and giftware. For show information, tools for improving poker play, and other
WPT news, fans may log on to www.worldpokertour.com. The company is also
engaged in the sale of corporate sponsorships. WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a
majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: LACO). Photos
and media information can be found online at: www.worldpokertour.com/media.
WPTEG
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe
harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this
press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other
written statements made or to be made by WPT Enterprises, Inc.) contains
statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the
expansion of WPTE's brand licensing, the development of new television and
film projects, the development of WPTE corporate sponsors and other business
development activities, as well as statements regarding other capital
spending, financing sources and the effects of competition. Such forward-
looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could
significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such
results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made
by or on behalf of WPTE. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, WPTE's significant dependence on the Travel Channel as a source of
revenue; the potential that our television programming will fail to maintain a
sufficient audience; the risk that competitors with greater financial
resources or marketplace presence might develop television programming that
would directly compete with WPTE's television programming; the risk that WPT
may not be able to protect its entertainment concepts, current and future
brands and other intellectual property rights; risks associated with future
expansion into new or complementary businesses; the termination or impairment
of WPTE's relationships with key licensing and strategic partners; and WPTE's
dependence on its senior management team. For more information, review WPTE's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts:
Erik Stein/WPT: 323-330-9872
estein@worldpokertour.com
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