With the World Series of Poker underway in Las Vegas, it's fitting that Dewey Ballantine attorney Jeffrey Kessler chose this month to launch an antitrust case against the World Poker Tour on behalf of champion players including Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer. The AP's story is here, and the Poker Prof comments here.
The plaintiffs
argue that WPT Enterprises Inc. made them waive lucrative rights to use their images and names to promote products and video games before they could enter WPT tournaments. . . . [T]he suit accuses WPT Enterprises of "price fixing" and "group boycotts" by colluding with 12 member casinos to prevent players from entering tournaments unless they forfeit their rights.Kessler, according to his firm's web site, "one of the most prominent sports lawyers in the country," brings significant professional sports antitrust experience to the case. And the sports law comparision is obvious, as Kessler emphasized:
Kessler said he has tried similar suits that have changed the way major sports businesses run, including the NBA and NFL.
"Imagine if they were to have said to John Elway in the NFL, 'Well we should just be able to use your image for any product or service that we want,'" Kessler said. "No professional sport has been able to get away with that and the same will be true with respect to the World Poker Tour."
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