BY TOM SOMACH

The new World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is yet to begin, but already somebody slimy is attempting to cash in.

A cyber-squatter who has nothing to do with the WSOPE has already seized the web address www.wsope.com and is trying to sell it!

The reason is obvious, of course.

Anyone looking on the Internet for information about the WSOPE and who doesn’t know any better might easily go to www.wsope.com to find that info.

But it’s not only the WSOPE that might be interested in owning that web address.

Any company with a product or service to sell looking for a huge influx of customers to a website might also be interested.

After all, it doesn’t matter how one gets eyeballs to a website, just that it gets them there.

A visit to www.wsope.com displays the following message:

“Welcome. The domain name you entered is part of our managed portfolio, and is currently for sale. If you would like to place a bid to purchase the domain or receive=A0our gaming related catalogue then please contact us.”

The website then lists an e-mail address for someone at a company called allinpartners.com, and a phone number.

According to Internet domain registration records provided at www.whois.com, the www.wsope.com site is registered to a company called Tucow Inc. in Ireland.

The controversy over the www.wsope.com website is not the first one involving the World Series of Poker.

A former casino employee named Federico Schiavio has been battling in court for years with Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. over the web address www.wsop.com, which Schiavio currently owns.

Schiavio claims the website is for an organization he runs called the World’s Standard of Online Poker, which also uses the acronym WSOP.

Harrah’s says that since it owns the WSOP, it is entitled to the www.wsop.com address.

The 39th annual WSOP begins in Las Vegas in June.

It will consist of 55 separate poker tournaments.

In September, the new WSOPE will be held for the first time, in London.

It will consist of three separate poker tourneys.

For information about the WSOP or the WSOPE, visit the official WSOP website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.) =A0