News

(Las Vegas, NV – May 13, 2008) The World Series of Poker has reached a multi-year alliance with XP Events, a leading retail merchandise management and fulfillment house, to broadly distribute WSOP merchandise across multiple retail touch points, including a new WSOP branded store in Las Vegas.

Through this agreement, XP Events becomes the official branded-merchandise provider for the World Series of Poker, the world’s leading poker brand.

XP Events will manage the officially-licensed WSOP online store, officially-licensed retail outlets throughout Las Vegas during the May 30-July 14, 2008 tournament, and manage a new Official World Series of Poker retail store, coming soon.

“XP Events is a leader in sports merchandising and marketing and we’ve been impressed by their work with the NBA and NHL,” said Jeffrey Pollack, the Commissioner of the World Series of Poker.  “XP’s expertise will broaden our footprint and provide our fans and players, and poker enthusiasts everywhere, with a world-class shopping experience.”

XP Events, based in Denver, Colorado, has managed retail sales for many world class events including the NBA and NHL All-Star games, the World Baseball Classic, the President’s Cup, the Tour de France, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

“Poker is a sports and cultural phenomenon and we are thrilled to align with the best brand in the business, the World Series of Poker,” said Alan Fey, president, XP Events.  “From e-commerce to retail, we think this alliance will benefit consumers allowing them multiple touch points to support their poker passion.”

The official WSOP online store (www.wsopshop.com) will be managed by XP Events and will be re-launched on May 15 with a wide range of new WSOP products and an exciting, user-friendly shopping experience. New WSOP products that will be available through the online store include a large selection of stylish clothing, attention-grabbing hats and unique memorabilia for fans of the World Series of Poker.

The third component of this new alliance includes establishing a WSOP branded retail store in Las Vegas.  Scouting of a location is underway, with the design concept to be modeled after XP Events-run retail shops for the Phoenix Suns (U.S. Airways Arena), Arizona Diamondbacks (Chase Field) and BankAtlantic Center (Florida Panthers).

About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.  In 2007, the event attracted more than 54,000 entrants from 87 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded just under $160 million in prize money as players competed for game’s most coveted trophy, a WSOP bracelet.  Harrah’s License Company, LLC., an affiliate of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. has owned and operated the WSOP since 2004 and over the last four years, fostered an increase in player participation by nearly 300-percent.  In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

About XP Events
XP Events provides turn-key retail merchandising services and retail facility management services to sports organizations and world-class events around the world. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado in the United States with operations in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, XP Events partners with sports organizations that want to ensure the success of their retail merchandise operations by working with an experienced team that is a true “Brand Guardian” with a successful track record of helping organizations achieve their branding, marketing and business goals. XP Events is a leading and rapidly-growing provider of authentic branded merchandise for major sports and entertainment events, including the Olympic Games, MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises, FIFA, Little League Baseball and many more. . For more information about XP Events, visit www.xpevents.com.

About Harrah’s Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The Company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's®, Caesars® and Horseshoe® brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker®. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. For more information, please visit www.harrahs.com.