Canada
Nearly $150 Million in Cash Won During WSOP Online Series 2020
Record-breaking online tournament series awards 54 WSOP gold bracelets and crowns a 2020 Main Event winner
The international WSOP Online 2020 tournament series, played on GGPoker, concluded today. A number of long-standing poker records were smashed over the course of the 54 event series–including the largest prize pool ever for an online tournament.
Highlights of WSOP Online 2020 include:
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The largest online poker tournament ever: $27,559,500 in Event #77: WSOP Online $5K Main Event
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The biggest online poker tournament prize ever awarded: $3,904,685 to Stoyan Madanzhiev, winner of Event 77: WSOP Online $5K Main Event
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The most entries ever for a WSOP tournament: 44,576 in Event #71: BIG 50
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Total prizes paid across all 54 tournaments: $147,789,550 (average prize pool: $2,736,844)
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Total number of WSOP Online 2020 tournament entries: 239,754
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Number of nationalities represented across the entire WSOP Online player base: 166
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Amount raised for Caesars Cares charity: $354,756 ($257,853 raised by the worldwide poker community, $96,903 donated by GGPoker)
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Number of tournaments with a prize pool of at least $1,000,000: 45
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Number of tournaments with a prize pool of at least $5,000,000: 5
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Number of tournaments with a prize pool of at least $10,000,000: 2
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Number of tournaments with more than 10,000 entries: 5
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Multiple event winners: Alex Stasiak (winner of Events #33 and 52)
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Multiple final tables played: 39 players made multiple final tables, with five players making three final tables each (Michael Watson, Paul Teoh, Ajay Chabra, Bruno Albuquerque and Connor Drinan)
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Female event winners: 3 (Kristen Bicknell – Event # 44, Thi Truong – Event #74 and Melika Razavi – Event #82)
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Number of players that cashed more than 10 times across all 54 events: 281
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Number of players that won at least $100,000 in cash: 203
The flagship World Series of Poker (WSOP) live poker tournament in Las Vegas was postponed due to the public health emergency and as a result, an online series of events took place at GGPoker from July 19 through September 6. In total, 54 WSOP bracelets were claimed in GGPoker’s WSOP Online 2020 series. The tournaments marked the first time that players located outside the U.S. were able to compete for official WSOP bracelets online.
“Obviously the events of 2020 have been unprecedented, and hosting the WSOP Online series at GGPoker wasn’t in our plans at the start of the year,” said Ty Stewart, Executive Director of the World Series of Poker. “But going online has been a wonderful experience, with tens of thousands of new players all over the world able to experience some of WSOP magic that they might have been otherwise unable to – we’re delighted that the series has been such a resounding success!”
The WSOP Online 2020 series was extensively covered in the media, with tournament action regularly broadcast on GGPoker.TV and Poker Central, and tournament reports published on PokerNews and elsewhere.
“For 50 years, the WSOP has been the gold standard in the industry,” said Steve Preiss, Head of Poker Operations at GGPoker. “By introducing features like SnapCam and day 2 staking, GGPoker’s entire team worked tirelessly to bring our players a fun, unique experience just like they’d expect at the live WSOP.”
The WSOP Online 2020 Main Event was won by Bulgarian-native Stoyan Madanzhiev, who claimed a record-setting $3.9M prize. Other event winners included GGPoker ambassador Fedor Holz and well-known poker players Juha Helppi, Roberto Romanello, Kristen Bicknell, Daniel Dvoress, Eoghan O’Dea, David Peters,Christian Rudolph. Notable players that participated in WSOP events included soccer superstar Neymar, former world champion boxers Riddick Bowe & Amir Khan, tennis legend Boris Becker, Australian cricket player Shane Warne, mixed martial artists Elias Theodorou & Patrick Côté and former elite soccer player Andriy Shevchenko.
“I’m personally very proud to be part of the effort that brought such a special WSOP series to the entire world,” said GGPoker ambassador, Daniel Negreanu. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we even got to break a lot of poker records along the way!”
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Alberta
Play’n GO granted Alberta iGaming licence, expanding Canadian market footprint
The Swedish gaming giant confirms its entry into another regulated market, with its industry-leading portfolio of games set to launch in Alberta.
Play’n GO, one of the world’s leading casino entertainment providers, has been granted a licence to supply online gaming content in the Canadian province of Alberta, marking another milestone in the company’s expansion across regulated North American markets.
The licence, awarded by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission (AGLC), allows the company to offer its portfolio of premium online casino titles to licensed operators in the province ahead of Alberta’s planned market launch later this year.
Alberta represents an important new regulated opportunity within Canada, complementing Play’n GO’s established presence in Ontario and Quebec, while reinforcing the company’s commitment to operating exclusively in regulated jurisdictions.
Magnus Olsson said: “Being granted a licence in Alberta is another important step in our North American growth journey and further strengthens our presence in Canada.
“Regulated markets are the foundation of our business, and Alberta represents an exciting opportunity to expand our footprint in a jurisdiction that shares our commitment to high standards, player protection and long-term sustainability.”
The Alberta licence forms part of Play’n GO’s broader strategy of expanding through regulated markets, working closely with licensed operators to deliver compliant, high-quality gaming content focused on innovation, responsibility, and long-term commercial value.
As part of its market entry preparations, the company has aligned its technology and game portfolio with Alberta’s regulatory standards and requirements, with an initial batch of titles already undergoing certification to ensure launch readiness.
About Play’n GO
With more than 20 years of experience in mobile-first gaming, Play’n GO is a global leader in casino entertainment and the creator of some of the industry’s most iconic online titles, including Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead, Reactoonz, and Moon Princess.
A pioneer in the sector, Play’n GO was among the first to recognize the potential of mobile gaming, developing casino content for mobile devices as early as 2005, before the smartphone era.
Today, the company offers a portfolio of more than 450 premium titles, available to regulated operators across over 35 jurisdictions.
Play’n GO is strongly committed to a fully regulated, sustainable gaming industry built around entertainment, safety, and long-term collaboration.
The company works closely with operators, regulators, and research institutions to promote responsible gaming standards across all markets in which it operates.
With a deep understanding of both operators’ and players’ needs, Play’n GO focuses on creating high-quality, enduring content designed for long-term engagement.
In addition to game development, the company also provides backend services and solutions that support operators in delivering a seamless gaming experience.
Beyond gaming, Play’n GO has expanded into complementary entertainment verticals with Play’n GO Music and Play’n GO Shop, and is also a proud partner of the TGR Haas F1 Team.
For more information, please visit www.playngo.com
The post Play’n GO granted Alberta iGaming licence, expanding Canadian market footprint appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Alberta
Play’n GO secures Alberta iGaming supplier licence from AGLC
Play’n GO has been granted a licence to supply online gaming content in Alberta, as the province prepares to launch its regulated online market later this year.
The licence was awarded by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission (AGLC). Play’n GO said the approval allows it to provide its online casino games to licensed operators in the province.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO, said:
“Being granted a licence in Alberta is another important step in our North American growth journey and further strengthens our presence in Canada.
“Regulated markets are the foundation of our business, and Alberta represents an exciting opportunity to expand our footprint in a jurisdiction that shares our commitment to high standards, player protection and long‑term sustainability.”
Play’n GO said it has aligned its technology and game portfolio with Alberta’s regulatory requirements, with an initial batch of titles undergoing certification ahead of launch. The supplier is already active in Canada, with an established presence in Ontario and Quebec, according to the company.
The post Play’n GO secures Alberta iGaming supplier licence from AGLC appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AGLC
Alberta iGaming Corporation Appoints Dan Keene as its CEO
Dan Keene, who served as the interim CEO of the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), has been appointed to the role permanently, effective April 21, 2026. Under his leadership, AiGC will launch Alberta’s regulated iGaming market on July 13. Keene has played a pivotal role in shaping the province’s gaming landscape, both through his work standing up AiGC and in his previous roles at the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC).
“Dan brings deep operational experience and a strong track record in gaming and market development. His leadership will be essential as the Alberta iGaming Corporation prepares for launch and delivers a regulated market built on social responsibility and player protection,” said Sanjeev Kad, Board Chair, Alberta iGaming Corporation.
About Dan Keene
Serving as Vice-President, Gaming at AGLC since July 2022, Keene overseen a broad portfolio, including gaming retail services, technical operations, compliance, online gambling, player loyalty, supply chain, electronic gaming, and product development across Alberta. He has been instrumental in advancing consumer-focused initiatives. He co-led the creation of Winner’s Edge, Alberta’s first province-wide casino loyalty program, and guided the operations of PlayAlberta.ca, currently, the province’s only regulated online gambling platform. Previously, Keene worked at AGLC as Manager, Casino Products. In this role, he led a team of specialists responsible for selecting slot games and terminals for Alberta’s 30 casinos and 750 VLT locations. Before joining AGLC, he completed successful tenures with Molson Breweries and Century Casinos Inc.
The post Alberta iGaming Corporation Appoints Dan Keene as its CEO appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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