Cantor Gaming’s decision to include a poker room in its sports book operation at the Palms is probably a first step toward more involvement in the rapidly growing world of poker.

Cantor officials are currently barred from discussing such possibilities. The company is in an SEC-mandated quiet period because of recent filings.

But Cantor’s pending Nevada application for an online license says all anyone needs to know about the company’s interest in doing what it can to become a major player among those companies that will have a hand in the shaping of Internet poker.

"And it has never been a secret that poker and sports wagering go together like French fries and ketchup," as a veteran of the business joked.

I would not be surprised to see Cantor develop remote technology for playing poker in areas of casinos outside card rooms. That’s speculation, but it looks like a natural next step considering the lineup of remote gaming tools it has already introduced in Las Vegas.

There is not yet any visible sign Cantor has plans for poker at other properties such as the M, Tropicana, Hard Rock or Venetian-Palazzo complex, places where it now operates books.