Harrah's Hires Former Party Poker Head Honcho Mitch Garber

In what can only be called a show of confidence that change is afoot for online poker in the USA, the Times of London reported that Harrah’s hired former PartyGaming chief Mitch Garber.

Although the Times report says that Garber’s role is unconfirmed, he is rumored to be heading a new Harrah’s division that will focus on the internet gaming operations as well as operations related to the World Series of Poker. Party Poker, you may recall, was a WSOP sponsor before being forced out of the US market by UIGEA.

Although there’s plenty of support brewing for legalization and regulation of online gambling in the United States, it’s not a done deal yet. Nevertheless, Garber’s hiring puts Harrah’s out in front of the curve should UIGEA be set aside, and Garber’s presence would give Harrah’s a hand up the ladder in the US online poker market.

Even more important, this move could set the stage for a working relationship in which Party Gaming and Harrah’s would enter the US online gaming market together. The synergy is nice. With Party’s technology, online marketing and customer service technology teaming with Harrah’s brand recognition in the US, it would be a major player in the US from the outset.