The world's foremost online poker room operator, Party Gaming, announced they have signed a contractual deal with land-based casino gambling giant, Harrah's Entertainment.  The news, which comes almost exactly one year after Party Gaming's flotation on the London Stock Exchange, is further evidence of their commitment to nurture the online poker industry and achieve global branding.

The deal with Harrah's makes Party Gaming and official sponsor of the World Series of Poker (which is the creation of Harrah's), and the first online poker sponsor of the 2006 poker games.  Although the financial specifics of the deal were not revealed as of yet, the word is that Party Gaming has agreed to pay out at least eight figures for a prime sponsorship and advertisement package with Harrah's.  Harrah's also just worked out a deal with ESPN to allow more in-depth televised coverage of the event, as well as a promotional deal with Milwaukee's Best Beer.

In what is looking to be an even bigger tournament than last year's whopping WSOP (which garnered over $106 million in prize money), the sponsorship package looks like it will be a smart investment for Party Gaming, whose online poker room, Party Poker, is one of the most visited and played at online gambling sites in the world.

In order to draw even more attention to the online poker room (especially the attention of beginning players), the PartyPoker.net logo will be prominently displayed on the center of every playing table in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, which is where all of the WSOP events take place.  The deal will last all the way through the final championship, scheduled from July 28 to August 10.