ESPN Folds Poker Programming After Sponsors Indicted

In response to the U.S. indictment on many of the gambling websites that sponsor its largest televised tournaments, ESPN has announced it will not only drop their advertising, but it will go one step further and remove its lineup of poker programming.

“We are aware of the indictment only through what has been announced publicly,” ESPN said yesterday in a statement obtained by Bloomberg. “For the immediate future, we are making efforts to remove related advertising and programming pending further review.”

On Friday, The Manhattan U.S. Attorney charged three of the largest online poker sites -- PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker -- with bank fraud, illegal gambling offenses and money laundering. Some industry experts say that collectively the three poker giants spent nearly $200 million in marketing and advertising to acquire new customers.

Read the full story at Bloomberg.com.

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