As I played on the automated PokerTek tables last winter while attending the bi-annual WPBT tourney at the Imperial palace, I forsaw this tables becoming more and more widely accepted.

Harrah's, owner of the World Series of Poker brand, is about to bring this next-gen poker tables to the public using a WSOP-branded style to maximize on its popularity with the general public. The easy to use tables bring together the electronic speed and efficiency of internet poker with the live play of chatting with your opponents and getting reads as they enter a bet onto the TV screen pad.

From PokerTek and Harrah's here's the press release on their new union:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chris Daniels
HARRAH'S SELECTS POKERTEK AS ITS EXCLUSIVE SUPPLIER FOR
AUTOMATED POKER
Charlotte, NC - April 19, 2007: Harrah's Operating Company, Inc, a subsidiary
of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET), signed a multi-year agreement to
make PokerTek its exclusive provider for live, player-banked, automated poker
tables.
Under the agreement, Harrah's, which operates 50 casinos in 13 states and six
countries and runs the annual World Series of Poker®, may install PokerPro
tables concurrently with appropriate regulatory approvals. With more than 450
manual poker tables, Harrah's is one of the largest operators of poker in the
world.
"We believe that there is a market for automated poker throughout our
properties," said Gerry Tuthill, Corporate Vice President of Table Games for
Harrah's. "Poker continues to boom and many players who have learned the
game enjoy the fast paced action PokerPro tables offer."
"We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Harrah's," said Lou White,
Chief Executive Officer of PokerTek. "Harrah's has a long track record of
successfully launching gaming innovations and we believe this transaction will
benefit the PokerPro brand."
In addition to providing automated poker products to Harrah's, PokerTek has
been granted the exclusive right to market a World Series of Poker branded
version of PokerPro tables as a standard offering available to all PokerTek
customers.
"We welcome the opportunity to extend the reach of the World Series of Poker
through this arrangement," said Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP Commissioner. "The
WSOP is the number one brand in poker, and PokerTek is a welcome addition to
our team."
"The World Series of Poker is a prestigious brand and we're excited to work with
it," said James Crawford, President of PokerTek. "To package the WSOP brand
with PokerPro products should accelerate player adoption and interest in
automated poker."