European Player's Challenge

Fully Computerized Poker Tables May Be The Future Of Casino Poker

A new computerized poker table that meets all the requirements of federal statutes and state gaming regulations may have an added appeal now that the government is being stringent on Internet gambling.

PokerPro, a new innovation in poker gaming, eliminates the need for a live card dealer, real cards and chips. The product won the Platinum Award for the Most Innovative Technology Product for 2005 as presented by the Casino Journal at the Gaming Technology Summit held last May in Las Vegas. PokerPro is developed and marketed by PokerTek Inc. of Charlotte N.C.

Early 2006 saw PokerTek signing a three-year contract with Carnival, making the company a provider of electronic tables for its cruise ships. Last June, one of the three largest clubs in California, Hollywood Park Casino, also agreed to make use of six Poker Pro tables for a 90-day trial period.

PokerPro has even gotten the nod of Aristrocrat Technologies Inc., one of the world's leading manufacturers and developers of electronic gaming devices. Brad Johnson, Aristocrat's vice-president of marketing for the Americas says: "I think what you'll eventually see in the future is the ability to have players play against one another on electronic games, creating a whole new realm of gaming. This type of product will start to move gaming in a little bit different direction and open up a lot more possibilities in the future."