WSOP.com Officially Launches to Become Second Legal Nevada Online Poker Site

Online poker players in Nevada finally have a choice! WSOP.com launched at 9:19 am PT on Thursday to become the second legal online poker site in the United States. The site launch thus far has proven wildly successful with dozens of cash game players currently flocking to the tables looking to test out the software.

The software is currently powered by 888 Holdings and offers Texas Hold’em, PL Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud, and Stud 8 or Better. Cash games, Sit & Go tournaments, and multi-table tournaments are all offered on the site.

As expected, there are some hiccups being experienced by some users trying to register at the site. First, those with Sprint phones are not currently being recognized by WSOP.com’s location verification service. Also, some Visa customers are getting declined when attempting to make a deposit. MasterCard users are not reporting any issues.

Those following Nevada online poker legalization may remember that Ultimate Poker had similar issues when they first launched in May. Verizon users at the time had problems with location verification and had to pursue other options for a while. Some were forced to use prepaid phones to become verified.

WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart commented on the launch via press release on Monday, stating, “As a long-standing World Series of Poker employee it is gratifying to see this day upon us.”

“Our players have played an important part in the success of the World Series of Poker the past decade, and we will work very hard to cultivate a strong poker community and positively represent the game of poker in the online world as we have in the land-based environment.”

As part of the initial launch, the site will host the WSOP.com Online Championships in October. The series will host nine events with $500,000 in added cash. In addition, the winners of the events will play in the first ever “Online Nine” event that will play out on November 4-5, 2013, the same time as the WSOP Main Event November Nine.

WSOP.com is technically running as a “Field Trial” during which Nevada regulatory officials and Caesars Interactive Entertainment will monitor the site and correct any problems that arise.

At present, players will only be able to register for an account with a checking account or credit card. Cash deposits are not permitted.

With the launch of WSOP.com, Nevada residents and visitors finally have a choice as to where they can play online poker. Should WSOP.com prove as successful as many hope, it could spurn the other casinos in the state to ramp up their site launches and increase competition to the growing market.