WPT Grand Prix de Paris Filming Cancelled

The World Poker Tour has announced that it will be unable to film the Grand Prix de Paris event, to be held in May at the Aviation Club de France.  The cancellation stems from France’s harsh online gaming regulations, which ban online gaming and advertising by any entity except the state-run monopolies.  While the WPT is not strictly an online gaming company, it does have an internet poker arm. 

It sounds as if the WPT was making progress with French officials, but it was not able to receive assurances from the government in enough time to be able to commit to filming the tournament.  Thus, the Grand Prix de Paris, which will still run as scheduled, will be devoid of cameras.    

In response to the regulatory issues, the Aviation Club said, “The "Rendez-vous à Paris" festival including the €10,000 THNL ‘Grand Prix de Paris’ will still be organized as announced and promoted. Aviation Club's partnership with WPTE will stay as strong as ever. Soon the French authorities will concede that the WPTE activities are as legal in France as they are in the US and all over the world. Then ACF and WPTE will commonly announce new dates for a World Poker Tour event at the Aviation Club de France.” 

Earlier this year, the European Poker Tour was forced to completely cancel its France-based event in Deauville, again because of online gaming restrictions.  The EPT is sponsored by online poker room, PokerStars.com.

Originally published 1:34 PM Tuesday, April 17, 2007