ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A new gaming website that allows college students to gamble online is about to launch on 160 campuses nationwide, including ' lobospokerclub.com ' for the University of New Mexico and ' newmexicopokerclub.com ' for New Mexico State University.
The College Poker Club is legal because gamers bet using "virtual" money.
"We're trying to position ourselves against those illegal offshore gambling websites that have been preying on students for years," said Chandler Bator, a junior from Arizona State University who created the website.
Players who pay the monthly $20 membership will have unlimited access to play poker and bet on sports games online with their "virtual" dollars. Each person will get $10,000 to gamble with. Bator said when gamers win enough Internet money, for example, by turning $10,000 virtual money into $50,000 of virtual money, they'll receive $100 in real cash.
"Once you reach certain thresholds of funny money, we're going to automatically give you, you'll earn real money," said Bator.
Bator also said top performers will also win cash prizes, paid out of the subscription fund. Each weekend, one member will also win a $10,000 seat at the World Series of Poker.
Bator hopes the College Poker Club will evolve into a social networking site where players can meet other students online and get their gambling fix legally.
"Our goal from the very beginning was to create a cohesive experience that would be equally engaging and alternative to these (illegal gambling) sites," said Bator.
Once the site launches in two weeks, Bator said they'll hire students from each campus to help with marketing.
But John Rinaldi, a gambling therapist with the New Mexico Council on Problem Gambling, said he worries feeding a fix might turn into a lifelong addiction.
"If I'm one of the gamblers, it gives the impression that I can win," said Rinaldi. "I can learn how to win so when I jump into real gambling, I'm an expert, I'm good."
Word of the Poker Club is spreading quickly on UNM's campus and students are excited.
"That's a really good idea," said sophomore Jeremy Baca. "I bet it will attract a lot of people."
UNM didn't want to comment on the College Poker Club because it wasn't familiar with it.
Source: http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/education/new-gaming-website-targets-students
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