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HEADLINE: WSOP Target of Lawsuit From Everest Poker

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You’d think the 2009 WSOP would be considered a win for title sponsor Everest Poker, as one of their own – Antoine Saout – graced the final table. Apparently not, as the company announced a suit against the WSOP today.

Ultra Internet Media S.A, the company that owns the Everest Poker brand, filed suit against Harrah’s this week, seeking to back out of the sponsorship in 2010.

According to UIM, Harrah’s breached the endorsement contract by failing to stop a French television affiliate from showing versions of ESPNs WSOP coverage that displayed Full Tilt Poker logos instead of Everest’s. The contract between the two parties calls for exclusive use of the Everest logo on WSOP tables.

Everest is an independent poker room that has been the “on-felt” sponsor of the World Series of Poker since 2008, meaning the Everest logo appears on the middle of the table and inside the table ring. For that placement, Everest paid some $14 million (total) to Harrah’s in 2008 and 2009.

Everest does not accept players from the US. In 2009, an Everest-sponsored player – Antoine Saout – reached the final table of the Main Event of the WSOP. By many accounts, he dominated play and looked poised to make a run at the championship before some severely poor luck saw him exit in third.

The anticipated payment for continuing the sponsorship in 2010: $8.4m.

Prior to Everest, Party Poker was the on-felt sponsor of the World Series of Poker, an arrangement that came to an end shortly after Party pulled out of the US market in response to the UIGEA.

Harrah’s had no comment on the suit as of the writing of this article. As of press time, Everest Poker was still promoting the 2010 WSOP on its website, but made no prominent mention of their role as WSOP sponsor.

The 2010 World Series of Poker gets underway on May 27th. For more information on the 2010 WSOP, including the official schedule, refer to our 2010 WSOP page.

More info: Las Vegas Sun.

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