{"id":33852,"date":"2020-03-16T16:52:16","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T17:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=33852"},"modified":"2020-03-17T16:19:55","modified_gmt":"2020-03-17T16:19:55","slug":"coronavirus-leads-to-casino-closings-tournament-cancellations-players-move-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/coronavirus-leads-to-casino-closings-tournament-cancellations-players-move-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus Leads to Casino Closings, Tournament Cancellations; Players Move Online"},"content":{"rendered":"
The fate of numerous major poker events<\/strong> continued to take shape over the weekend in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic<\/strong>. Tours and properties cancelled events and series around the world.<\/p>\n Series like the World Series of Poker<\/strong>, World Poker Tour<\/strong>, and numerous others have altered plans in reaction. Online operators have quickly added new series to meet customer demand at a time when many players will be home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Postponements and cancellations came quickly last week as more victims of the COVID-19 virus<\/strong> were announced. The WPT postponed a slate of events on its Main Tour<\/strong> and DeepStacks<\/strong> schedules including in Barcelona<\/strong>, at the Venetian<\/strong> in Las Vegas, and Seminole Hard Rock<\/strong> in Florida.<\/p>\n Three WPT final tables are set to be filmed March 31 \u2013\u00a0April 2<\/strong> at HyperX Esports Arena<\/strong> at Luxor. Those remained in place. However, that could change after MGM Resorts<\/strong> announced it would temporarily close operations in Las Vegas beginning March 17<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Luxor is an MGM property and the company wouldn\u2019t be taking reservations prior to May 1<\/strong>. This came after HyperX announced it would be closing for two weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite our commitment to dedicating additional resources for cleaning and promoting good health, while making difficult decisions to close certain aspects of our operations, it is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression,\u201d MGM CEO Jim Murren<\/strong> said in a news release<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cThis is a time of uncertainty across our country and the globe and we must all do our part to curtail the spread of this virus.\u201d<\/p>\n On Friday, the WSOP also made some adjustments. Caesars Entertainment<\/strong> announced that several events have been cancelled or postponed including stops at<\/p>\n The summer WSOP is scheduled to continue as of now, but organizers will monitor the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cAs it relates to the summer WSOP in Las Vegas, we are monitoring COVID-19 developments very carefully and it is scheduled to be held as planned,\u201d Caesars Interactive Entertainment Vice President of Corporate Communications Seth Palansky<\/strong> said in a news release<\/p><\/blockquote>\n While the WSOP may be scheduled to continue, what that may look like is anyone\u2019s guess. With travel bans currently underway from Europe<\/strong><\/a> and China<\/strong>, attendance will be an open question.<\/p>\n Will guarantees<\/strong> be adjusted and expectations lowered because of the pandemic? Will the number of events<\/strong> be reduced to adjust to lower demand and player pools?<\/p>\n Could the series be cancelled entirely<\/strong>? Those are some questions that will be answered in the coming months.<\/p>\n Other tournament series and properties will also be affected. The RunGood Poker Series<\/strong> cancelled its upcoming series in Bossier City<\/strong>, La.<\/p>\n The Wynn<\/strong> and Encore<\/strong> casinos in Las Vegas announced on Monday that they will be closing temporarily. The Mohegan Sun<\/strong> and Foxwoods<\/strong> casinos in Connecticut<\/strong> are also closing.<\/p>\n PokerStars<\/strong><\/a> has cancelled several Road to PSPC events in Germany<\/a>, France<\/a>, and Spain<\/a><\/b>.The Brazilian Series of Poker S\u00e3o Paulo <\/b>and Monte-Carlo EPT <\/b>events have been postponed.<\/p>\n However, the company announced that the PokerStars Players Championship<\/strong> (PSPC) set for Barcelona in August<\/strong> will go forward as planned. That could change depending on how the pandemic continues to play out.<\/p>\n Beyond major tournament series, casino closings leave many cash game players<\/a> also shut out. With casinos closing down, many may look to online games. In the US, legal options include:<\/p>\n Sweepstakes poker sites like Global Poker<\/strong> may also see increased traffic with players practicing self-quarantine<\/strong> and social distancing<\/strong>.<\/p>\nClosing and postponing numerous poker tournaments<\/span><\/h2>\n
WSOP takes action with circuit events<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Other properties also shutting down, situation continues to change<\/span><\/h2>\n
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