Search engine Yahoo has announced that it will enter into the online gaming world with Yahoo Poker, an online poker room. The company has signed a partnership agreement with St. Minver Ltd., a Gibraltar-based online solutions provider for gaming networks.

The room, which will focus on the European poker market, will run on the International Poker Network (IPN) and combine important online and offline brands with the biggest online sports books. US residents are not accepted due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, currently in force.

With this new venture, Yahoo will become the only Internet Service Provider (ISP) to own a gaming site where customers can play for real money. Competitor AOL operates a ‘play money’ site and Microsoft has incorporated a poker game into the new Windows Vista operative system.