Global registry services provider and poker fan Afilias announced today that the new “dot POKER” or .POKER top level domain is now open for public registration on a first-come-first-served basis. For the first time, the card game that has fascinated players and transcended cultures around the world has its own dedicated web space! The short, memorable .POKER web address is poker-specific and brings an instant branding boost to all kinds of online poker activities including tournaments, products, news, tips… and even neighborhood game nights!

During the recent sunrise and landrush phases of the launch, almost 800 .POKER names were registered, representing many global poker leaders such as poker community PocketFives and poker news site PokerNews. Others who have acquired their .POKER addresses include some of the world’s best-known casinos such as Bally’s, Borgata, Caesars Palace, Mirage, and Monte Carlo. Registrations are also in for many popular online gaming destinations such as Bovada, FullTilt, Grosvenor and WSOP, to name a few.

Lots of players dealt themselves in for landrush, and many great names received multiple applications (one got 14!). Auctions will soon be scheduled for this group, which includes bitcoin.poker, download.poker, highstakes.poker, virtual.poker, and world.poker.

“The poker industry is large and growing, especially the online game,” said Roland LaPlante, Chief Marketing Officer of Afilias. “.POKER will help Internet users and search engines alike to quickly identify poker-focused content worldwide. Fans, suppliers, game hosts and sponsors and other poker-focused entities now have a dedicated space on the internet. A .POKER address will help put the odds in favor of the registrant!”

Overall, an estimated 80,000+ web addresses already include the word “poker,” which demonstrates the appeal of an entire top level domain dedicated to the game. If you have a poker site, put it at the Internet home of everything poker: .POKER.

.POKER domain names are available at about 70 leading registrars around the world already and the list is expanding quickly. Register your favorite name from your preferred .POKER registrar today. For more information about the .POKER domain, please visit www.get.poker.

Call for .POKER Partners! Are you interested in having your .POKER site featured? .POKER’s Partner Program is designed to showcase .POKER sites that are utilizing their domain name effectively and helping the community to grow. Selected .POKER sites will be featured in .POKER’s web site, press releases, media interviews, social media posts, blogs, and other communications. Got a great .POKER story to tell? Fill out this form and the .POKER team will be in touch.