Online poker has unlimited potential for casino operators if the United States would just go ahead and legalize it, the chief executive officer of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has said.

Gary Loveman said in an interview with Reuters that was published online last week that legalization would generate billions of dollars for US operators.

"We would enjoy a substantial portion of that," Loveman said in the interview, making reference to Harrah's ownership of the World Series of Poker.

Several bills that aim to overturn the effective ban on online poker in the United States are currently being put to legislators in Washington.

Loveman also spoke to Reuters about the ongoing financial crisis; he said he is pessimistic about a recovery in Las Vegas this year, but indicated that the signs were better for 2011.

Last week Harrah's reported a first-quarter loss of $195.6 million, up from $132.7 million 12 months earlier.

Harrah's, which was bought by two private equity firms in 2008, is in charge of more than 50 casinos in six countries, including several Las Vegas resorts