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Online Casino Becomes a Sports Center for a day

One-day name change costs a fortune

Thursday 17th February 2005

The online casino GoldenPalace.com bid the highest in an unusual eBay auction and obtained the right to change the name of Boston’s FleetCenter Sports Center to it’s own name -- GoldenPalace.com -- for one day.

A bid of $35,099 was what it took to turn a center for professional team sports and other events into an online casino. The one-day name transition has just passed -- February 16, 2005. And yesterday the GoldenPalace.com Sports Center, so to speak, had an advertising presence at the Jumbotron for the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies NBA game.

“GoldenPalace.com” also replaced the FleetCenter name on the FleetCenter's Website. When phone callers called the FleetCenter's automated phone system on Wednesday, they were greeted with a friendly voice that welcomed them to GoldenPalace.com.

The online casino would have appeared to have taken good advantage of its day from eBay’s rotating one-day-only auction offer, and net proceeds from the daily operation that replaces FleetCenter’s name will go to charity.

The FleetCenter became a name-replacement opportunity because it’s become acquired by Delaware North Companies, who want an eventual permanent name change for FleetCenter. Bostonians need to get used to the idea of a name change. The FleetCenter is located in the fifth largest American media market and is home to the legendary Bruins and Celtics franchises. Fleetcenter (yesterday, GoldenPalace.com) is one of only 11 North American venues that are home to both an NHL and an NBA franchise. FleetCenter is also the site of annually held world-renowned concerts, family shows and special events that have drawn more than 20 million fans to the venue since its opening in September, 1995.




Source: OnlineCasinoNews