GGPoker

{{Infobox company | name = GGPoker | logo = GGPoker Logo.jpg | caption = | type = Private company | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = 2014 | founder = | defunct = | location_city = | location_country = | location = | locations = | area_served = | key_people = | industry = Online poker | products = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|ggpoker.com}} | footnotes = }}

'''GGPoker''' is an online poker room operator. The company was established in 2014 and initially focused on the Asian online poker market.<ref name="pokerfuse521" /> In 2017, it expanded into Europe with the acquisition of a gaming license from the United Kingdom.<ref name="pokerfuse521" /><ref name="nyt920">{{Cite news |last=Hill |first=Kashmir |date=2020-09-01 |title=To Play Poker in a Pandemic, Americans Flee the U.S. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/sports/coronavirus-world-series-of-poker.html |access-date=2023-04-06 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Daniel Negreanu acts as the company's brand ambassador and spokesperson.<ref name="pokerpro1119">{{Cite news| last1 = Bevington| first1 = Samantha| title =Daniel Negreanu Signs With GGPoker |work=Poker Industry Pro | date = 2019-11-20| url = https://pokerindustrypro.com/news/article/211026-daniel-negreanu-signs-ggpoker | accessdate = 2022-10-05}}</ref>

In 2020 it co-hosted the World Series of Poker Main Event after the WSOP had to cancel its live tournament due to the travel and live event restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news| title = American leads WSOP int'l series ahead of final| work = ESPN.com | date = 2020-08-31| url = https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/29777636/american-bryan-piccioli-leads-world-series-poker-international-series-ahead-final | accessdate = 2022-08-29}}</ref> GGPoker was awarded a Guinness World Record as the 2020 WSOP Online bracelet series main event's prize pool was the largest ever for a single online poker tournament.<ref name=pokerpro1020>{{Cite news| last1 = Jones| first1 = Nick | title = GGPoker Nets Guinness World Record for WSOP Online Main Event |work=Poker Industry Pro | date = 2020-10-29| url = https://pokerindustrypro.com/news/article/211820-ggpoker-nets-guinness-world-record-wsop-online-main-event | accessdate = 2022-08-23}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news| title = Bulgarian earns record $3.9M in online WSOP| work = ESPN.com | date = 2020-09-06| url = https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/29824124/stoyan-madanzhiev-takes-home-historic-online-poker-prize-39m | accessdate = 2022-08-29}}</ref><ref name=pokernews620>{{cite web|last=Epskamp|first=Yori|title=85 Online Bracelet Events Scheduled This Summer; 31 on WSOP.com & 54 on GGPoker|url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2020/06/2020-wsop-online-bracelet-schedule-37396.htm|publisher=PokerNews.com|date=June 8, 2020|access-date=2022-09-08}}</ref>

In 2021 and 2022 the company hosted the WSOP Online bracelet series.<ref name="pokerfuse521">{{Cite news |title=GGPoker Closes in on PokerStars in Global Cash Game Traffic |work=Pokerfuse.com |date=2021-05-21 |url=https://pokerfuse.com/news/live-and-online/215616-ggpoker-closes-pokerstars-global-cash-game-traffic/ |accessdate=2022-08-24}}</ref><ref name="pokernews822">{{Cite web |last=Shillibier |first=Will |date=2022-08-05 |title=2022 GGPoker WSOP Online to Award 33 Bracelets; Runs August 7-September 27 |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2022/08/2022-ggpoker-wsop-online-to-award-33-bracelets-41808.htm |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=PokerNews}}</ref> In August 2022, GGPoker became the largest online poker room by volume of cash game traffic.<ref name=pokerpro822>{{Cite news| last1 = Jones| first1 = Nick | title = GGPoker is Now Larger Than All Other Major Dot-Com Operators Combined |work=Poker Industry Pro | date = 2022-08-10| url = https://pokerindustrypro.com/news/article/218043-ggpoker-now-larger-all-other-major-dot-com | accessdate = 2022-08-23}}</ref>

In August 2024, Caesars Entertainment announced it had sold the WSOP brand to GGPoker operator NSUS Group for $500 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Purdum |first=David |date=2024-08-01 |title=WSOP sold by Caesars but staying in Las Vegas |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/sports-betting/story/_/id/40701827/world-series-poker-sold-caesars-staying-las-vegas |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stutz |first=Howard |date=2024-08-01 |title=Caesars sells World Series of Poker brand for $500 million |url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/caesars-sells-world-series-of-poker-brand-for-500-million |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=The Nevada Independent |language=en}}</ref>

==Offering== GGPoker offers variations of Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em poker, including short deck and five and six card pot-limit Omaha.<ref name=pokerfuse222/> The site also offers<ref name=pokerfuse222>{{Cite news| last = Zetzsche| first = Christian| title = GGPoker In 2022: Where Is The New Industry Giant Heading?| work = PokerFuse.com| accessdate = 2022-10-07| date = 2022-02-18| url = https://pokerfuse.com/features/in-depth/217163-ggpoker-2022-predictions-online-poker-giant/}}</ref> casino games online, including slot games.<ref>{{Cite news| last = Pal| first = Hunor| title = Yggdrasil launches content globally with GGPoker| work = European Gaming Industry News| accessdate = 2022-10-07| date = 2022-09-13| url = https://europeangaming.eu/portal/latest-news/2022/09/13/120900/yggdrasil-launches-content-globally-with-ggpoker/}}</ref>

==Operational history== As of 2020, GGPoker has operations in Canada and Ireland.<ref name="nyt920"/> It acquired a gambling license in the United Kingdom in 2017,<ref name=pokerfuse521/> and in Malta and Curaçao by 2020.<ref name="nyt920"/>

In February 2021, the company received a gaming license in Pennsylvania, which was its first US license.<ref name="pokerfuse622">{{Cite news| title = GGPoker's Breakthrough Year: The Four Biggest Game-Changers that Led to its Rise in Global Poker Power |work=Pokerfuse.com | date =2022-01-06 | url =https://pokerfuse.com/features/in-depth/216927-ggpoker-usa-online-poker-wsop-global-success-2021/ | accessdate =2022-08-23}}</ref> Also in February 2021, GGPoker was approved by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission for a new license to use for its international players, except for its players located in the UK who continue to play under the license from the UK Gambling Commission.<ref name="pokerfuse221">{{Cite news| title = International Players on GGPoker Move to Isle of Man License |work=Pokerfuse.com | date = 2021-02-19| url = https://pokerfuse.com/news/live-and-online/212137-international-players-ggpoker-move-isle-man-license/ | accessdate = 2022-09-08}}</ref> The company expanded into Ukraine when it received a license to operate in the country in August 2021.<ref name="sportua1221">{{Cite news | title=Українська команда GGPoker стрімко зростає |trans-title=The Ukrainian GGPoker team is growing rapidly |work=Sport.ua |date=2021-12-20 |url=https://sport.ua/uk/news/567241-ukrainska-komanda-ggpoker-strimko-zrostaie |language=Ukrainian | accessdate=2022-08-23}}</ref> Later that year, GGPoker launched in Belgium and Romania, and established partnerships with local casinos allowing it to operate in the Netherlands and Quebec.<ref name="pokerfuse622" />

The company acquired an Ontario license in early 2022, and partnered with WSOP to launch the WSOP.ca site. The site is operated by GGPoker for Ontario-based players only.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casinosfest.com/online-casino-ontario/ |title=Online Casinos in Ontario Canada |access-date=2023-09-19}}</ref><ref name=pokerfuse322>{{Cite news| title = Breaking: GGPoker Confirms Partnership with WSOP for Ontario Online Poker Launch in "Early April" |work=Pokerfuse.com | date =2022-03-24 | url =https://pokerfuse.com/news/poker-room-news/217388-ggpoker-partnership-wsop-ontario-online-poker/ | accessdate =2022-09-08}}</ref><ref name=pokernewsdaily1022>{{Cite news| last = Katz| first = Dan| title =Unlicensed Online Gaming Providers Must Exit Ontario Market by October 31 |work=PokerNewsDaily.com | date =2022-10-05 | url =https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/unlicensed-online-gaming-providers-must-exit-ontario-market-by-october-31-36468/ | accessdate =2022-10-06}}</ref>

== Award == GGPoker was awarded a Guinness World Record as the 2020 WSOP Online bracelet series main event's prize pool was the largest ever for a single online poker tournament.<ref name="pokerpro1020" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name="pokernews620" />

== Controversies ==

German high‑stakes regular Tobias "dudd1" Duthweiler claimed that GGPoker shut his account and confiscated about US$180,000. The operator said he had already been barred from a network skin for “bum‑hunting and predatory behavior,” and that returning violated a permanent ban.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-14 |title=GGPoker Breaks Silence on Banned Player Controversy |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2020/08/ggpoker-banned-player-controversy-37789.htm |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=www.pokernews.com |language=en}}</ref>

Amid industry concern over real‑time assistance tools, GGPoker announced that it had permanently banned 40 accounts, issued warnings to another 40, and confiscated US$1.18 million from 13 offenders.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-30 |title=GGPoker Responds to Cheating Scandal With Bans and Warnings |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2020/09/ggpoker-responds-cheating-scandal-38050.htm |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=www.pokernews.com |language=en}}</ref>

A player using the handle "Moneytaker69" exploited a client‑side vulnerability that leaked hand‑equity data, achieving abnormal win rates. GGPoker banned the account, confiscated about US$29,800, and patched the security flaw.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-29 |title=GGPoker Bans Superuser "Moneytaker69" After Client Vulnerability Exposed |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2023/12/ggpoker-bans-superuser-moneytaker69-45174.htm |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=www.pokernews.com |language=en}}</ref>

GGPoker disqualified Italian player Francesco "forzaitalia" Garofalo, the winner of the US$25,000 GGMillion$ Super High Roller Championship, for violating fair‑play rules and redistributed more than US$1 million in prize money to other finalists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GGPoker Bans & Confiscates $1M Prize From WSOP Online Champ |url=https://somuchpoker.com/news/ggpoker-ban-wsop-online-champ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=somuchpoker.com |language=en}}</ref>

After integrating security tools from GTO Wizard, GGPoker closed 31 accounts for RTA use. Integrity ambassador Fedor Holz said the offenders would also be barred from future live World Series of Poker events.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-01 |title=Fedor Holz Says WSOP Bans Are Coming for Online Poker Cheaters |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/03/fedor-holz-hints-at-wsop-bans-for-ggpoker-rule-breakers-48061.htm |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=www.pokernews.com |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.ggpoker.com/ }} * [https://ggpoke.net/en/english/ GGpoker website]

Category:Online poker companies Category:Gambling companies Category:Gambling companies of the Isle of Man Category:Gambling companies established in 2014 Category:Internet properties established in 2014