Atlantis in Reno says online is a bad bet
Peppermill Resorts has joined the online poker business. The privately owned operator of five Northern Nevada casinos, including its flagship property in Reno, launched intrastate internet poker last week with online gambling operator Ultimate Poker. The Las Vegas-based company also hosts online poker offered by Station Casinos, which is its majority owner.
Players who create an online account within the state with a secured deposit can then play and cash out at any of Peppermill’s Nevada locations.
The agreement “gives us the opportunity to bring our online poker product to the Northern Nevada market through Peppermill’s extensive customer database,” said Tobin Prior, CEO of Ultimate Gaming.
Meanwhile, the CEO of a Peppermill competitor in Reno, the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, has said it will not offer online poker. Atlantis CEO John Farahi cites “social responsibility” in sidestepping the online games, which he contends could lead to more gaming addictions.
“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you do it,” Farahi told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Reno gaming analyst Ken Adams said those statements will make it difficult for the Atlantis to change course in the future. “They’ve taken a pretty public stand on moral grounds. That’s hard to back out on,” Adams said.
