WSOP Online Platform Headed to Ontario After GGPoker Partnership
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WSOP.CA
As the Ontario sports betting market gets ready for its launch on April 4, several gambling operators are chomping at the bit to get started in the province as well. Among them is the World Series of Poker (WSOP) online brand who recently inked a deal with GGPoker to bring the WSOP platform to Ontario.
“I’m thrilled that poker’s two greatest brands have come together to launch WSOP.CA and offer the Ontario poker community the perfect place to play online,” said Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker Global Ambassador.
The platform will launch under the name WSOP.CA in early April with the help of GGPoker’s online poker technology. The exact date has not yet been decided as GGPoker, WSOP, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario are still ironing out details over their WSOP.CA agreement. WSOP joins Annexio (LottoGo), BetMGM, Coolbet, FanDuel, Fitzdares, bet365, LeoVegas, Ontario Lottery and Gaming, PointsBet, Rivalry, Royal Panda, Rush Street Interactive (BetRivers), theScore, Unibet, and 888 in launching in Ontario.
Other Poker Players in Ontario
888 and WSOP are the only two licensed operators that are set to launch online poker in the province as of now, however there are several that are following in behind with interest. Bet365, Unibet, and BetRivers have already received approval for iGaming operation from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission, but have the potential to launch an online poker platform in the province as well. Other possibilities include PokerStars and partypoker, who have not yet received licensing but have shown interest in the market.
WSOP Promotions and Offers
As part of their soft launch, GGPoker and WSOP have announced that there will be plenty of generous sign-up offers available to users in Ontario upon the live launch. These offers include access to the rewards program of WSOP’s parent company, Caesars Entertainment. Caesar’s Rewards loyalty program is chalked full of access to gaming opportunities, amenities, food, beverage, and entertainment options. Other perks include opportunities to play in exclusive poker tournaments.
In previous WSOP online poker launches, welcome offers included 100% deposit matches up to $1,000 for new users, $50 of free playing credit, and exclusive tickets to freerolls. The Ontario launch will mark the fifth location for WSOP’s online poker platform, following New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Nevada.
The Ontario Market
In the summer of 2021, after a long legislative session, Canadian lawmakers approved iGaming and sports betting in Canada. Under the bill, HB 606, Canadian provinces are able to regulate their own iGaming market within their borders. Among the first to get the ball rolling is Ontario, the most populated province in the country, and widely considered to have lucrative potential for success in the industry. Later in 2021, Ontario opened its registration process for commercial operators to apply for licensing in the province through approval of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Since then, they have approved 16 gambling companies for operation in Ontario ahead of the April 4 launch. Upon its launch, Ontario natives and Canadians alike will be able to bet on some of their favorite teams: Toronto Raptors, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Redblacks, and more!