Treasure Island Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip applied for and received a license to operate an online poker site in 2013. But the casino has yet to launch a real money poker site.
That’s all about to change. Well, sort of. In preparation for the influx of poker players headed to Sin City for the 2016 World Series of Poker, Treasure Island is set to launch a membership-based online poker site.
According to a press release, the casino will introduce a poker site this summer that costs anywhere from nothing to $14.95 to join. Instead of buying into individual cash games and tournaments with money, customers pay a set monthly price and then compete in free games.
What’s the point of joining a membership-based poker site? Many WPT.com members enjoy the perks of receiving free money and free buy-ins to live poker events for performing well in the online games. Treasure Island is using a similar model.
Players will be rewarded based on individual performance in different poker games. The potential rewards range from cash prizes to free live tournament buy-ins hosted at the casino.
Memberships come in three tiers. Tier One is free but limits the amount of games a player can enter. Gold membership costs $9.95 each month and Platinum membership is $14.95. The more you spend, the more opportunities you will have to make a run at winning cool prizes and cash.
About the TI Poker Room
To some, it may seem odd for a casino such as Treasure Island to bother getting a license to operate an online gambling site. After all, there are bigger brand name casino operators in Nevada such as MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment.
Although Treasure Island is a popular Strip casino on the north end, few would consider the place to have one of the better poker rooms in town. Most top professional poker players, locals, and tourists, flock to places such as Aria, Bellagio, Wynn, Venetian, and Caesars Palace.
Treasure Island’s poker room attracts more of a recreational poker base than grinders. If the casino ever elects to operate a true real money poker site, it will have to compete against WSOP.com, which is owned by Caesars.
What’s the Point?
“Never lose a dime playing poker, guaranteed,” is the what legendary World Poker Tour announcers Vince Van Patten and Mike Sexton say about WPT.com.
Technically, WPT.com and Treasure Island’s new site pay for a membership, not for poker, so the claim is accurate. Customers like the ability to play many poker games without having to risk losing a lot of money. These sites are popular with casual poker players who want to learn the game without risk while also having an opportunity to win prizes and money.
