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The two largest and most well-known tournaments are the World Poker Tour championship event and the World Series of Poker, both held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 2005 World Series of Poker was the first held outside of Binion's Horseshoe Casino, though the final few days of the main event were held in the legendary Benny's Bullpen. Future tournaments have been held at one of the Harrah's Entertainment properties; since 2005, the Rio has served as the host venue.
Arguably the most publicized European tournament is the Poker Million, which began in 2000 on Sky Sports, following on from the success of the Late Night Poker television show.
In addition to these events, there are other major tournaments throughout the year. The World Poker Tour broadcasts a series of open tournaments throughout the U.S. and Caribbean with buy-ins from $5,000 to $25,000, as well as a European event.
Unlike the area including casinos along Mississippi's Gulf Coast region, Tunica was not in the path of Hurricane Katrina. As a result, some of the regular Gulf Coast customer traffic from casinos has drifted northward to Tunica County.
Though the casinos lie outside of the town limits, the effects of tax revenue generated is notably felt inside the town. Major improvements to the public school system and downtown district are among the most visible aspects currently; long-term effects include major highway improvements on U. S. Highway 61 and a much-discussed potential expansion of Tunica Municipal Airport.
As of 2007, some Tunica Resorts residents are trying to incorporate their community into a separate town government [2], rather than exist under the jurisdiction of Tunica County or move toward annexation into the town of Tunica. If Tunica Resorts incorporates, the new town government would be a direct beneficiary of casino tax revenue, enabling construction of municipal government offices. Depending on population and revenue growth, fire and police stations, libraries and other public infrastructure could be other likely additions. Potential effects on the existing town of Tunica are unclear.
Tunica Resorts is, as the name implies, home to 9 casino resorts. The use of the name "Tunica" by the resorts, despite the fact that since 1995 they were all located in Robinsonville and not Tunica proper, led to the name change to reduce confusion by tourists. Lacking the structure of an organized city or town, Tunica Resorts consists mainly of casinos and cotton fields, with few permanent residents living in the community. Despite this, Tunica Resorts is the third largest casino-gambling destination in the United States, as measured by gaming revenue, behind Las Vegas, Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Its casinos attract gamblers mainly from nearby Memphis, Tennessee, but also draw visitors from northern Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri and Kentucky.
