Could staking be outlawed at the WSOP?

A new bill has been proposed in Nevada that has the potential to criminalise staking in brick-and-mortar poker tournaments.

Internet gaming attorney David Gzech informed the poker community via TwoPlusTwo last week about a newly proposed bill that has the potential to end live tournament staking in Nevada.

Nevada State Bill 40, which was made public on January 23, would "prohibit and criminalise player-to-player staking for brick-and-mortar tournaments", among other activities associated with messenger based sports wagering.

Players or investors who share or receive a portion of profits garnered from a live poker wager in Nevada would be charged with a Category B felony, which equates to "one to six years in jail and/or a fine of up to $5,000".

As the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) festival is staged in Nevada, it would of course be affected if this proposal became state law.

Nosebleed suffering

For decades, probably since the series first began in 1970, players have used the staking system in some shape or form as a way to enter WSOP events without risking too much themselves.

In fact, the percentage of players who enter the festival each year - particularly nowadays with professionals focussing so much on proper bankroll management - solely with their own money has to be very small.

Even the elite pros need security to compete in some of the larger events like the $10K Championships, the $50K Players' Championship or the $1m Big One for One Drop, and one struggles to see how some of these events would continue running if staking was abolished.

Plus, although recreational players would maybe benefit slightly from softer fields, they would likely become more put off by the smaller field sizes - especially in the Main Event - and smaller guarantees than they had been by tackling the professionals previously.

Do you think the series would take a hit in attendance levels if the bill passes? Would the series move to a new home if that was the case? Let us know your thoughts below.