Poker.com Domain Name Put Up for Sale for ￡15m
Author:
Zara Harris
The Poker.com website domain name is up for sale and will set a willing suitor back ￡15 million.
Poker.com could become the most expensive gambling-related domain name in history.
The domain is one of the most sought-after in the iGaming and casino industries, which explains why current owners RightOfTheDot, an internet domain consultancy, are seeking such a high price.
The firm is also hoping to sell Poker.asia for $5m, Skillpoker.com for $5k, and Holdem.net for $30,000. The sales will be managed by domain auction company NameJet, and if a buyer is not found on the open market, a live auction will be held on 30th January 2018.
RightOfTheDot is also selling other prized domains including Lucky.com for $6.5m, Houses.com for $5m and Super.com for $3.3m.
Poker fans will likely be familiar with Poker.com, which is currently used as a portal to help enthusiasts easily navigate between online poker casino sites, take advantage of bonuses, and learn about the latest poker news. The site also introduces fans to the rules and regulations of the game, as well as famous players and the professional tour circuits.
The current owners purchased Poker.com in 1999 as Poker.com Inc. and obtained the worldwide rights to the domain for a period of 99 years in a deal which was brokered through UniNet Technology Inc. who in turn obtained the rights from AlaCorp. Inc.
There was speculation in 2007 that Poker.com had been sold for somewhere in the region of $25m but a sale was never confirmed.
Mega-buck gambling domain name sales are by no means a new thing, but if the $20m asking price for Poker.com is met, it would almost quadruple the current record holder. Casino.com was purchased in 2003 by Gibraltar-based gambling operator Mansion, which turned the domain into a stand-alone casino brand. Also sold for $5.5m, Slots.com changed ownership in 2010 at a SnapNames online auction. It was purchased by Bodog founder Calvin Ayre, and now promotes Bodog and Slots.lv.
Another highly sought-after domain name was Gambling.com, which was sold in 2011 for a comparatively paltry $2.5m. Meanwhile, Poker.org sold for $1m in 2010.
The $35.6m (￡26.5m) sale of Insurance.com in 2010 remains the most expensive domain name sale in history.
