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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Canada
Relax Gaming joins forces with PointsBet to strengthen footprint in Ontario
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has significantly enhanced its presence in the Ontario market through an agreement with leading Canadian operator, PointsBet.
This partnership reinforces Relax Gaming’s aim to become a standout provider across North America, having already gained early success in Ontario. Relax became one of the first suppliers to deliver content to the region’s players in March 2022, debuting with over 120 games across multiple operators.
PointsBet pride themselves as one of Canada’s leading operators offering unmatched speed, ease of use, and a comprehensive array of pre-game and in-play sports betting options. This is complemented by a top-tier online casino which will now be boosted with the integration of Relax’s portfolio of slots and live dealer options.
With its authentic Canadian approach, PointsBet prioritises technology that minimises external dependencies to maintain control over its platform and has a commitment to responsible gambling best practices, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all players.
Martin Stålros, CEO at Relax Gaming, said: “Since we launched in Ontario we have enjoyed tremendous success, with our content hitting the sweet spot for the broad range of players in the Canadian province. This partnership with PointsBet will strengthen our presence in the market as the region’s leading operator integrates our rich content portfolio which will engage its player base.”
Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer at PointsBet, added: “Relax Gaming has established a strong reputation across North America and in Ontario in particular. The impressive range of content that will be integrated into our platform will increase engagement within our online platform and we are delighted to be able to provide more immersive experiences to our audiences.”
Established as one of the industry’s leading B2B suppliers, Relax Gaming was awarded GGA’s Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Money Train 3 names the 2023 CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards amongst its 6 Slot of the Year titles, while the brand also won the award for Skill Games Supplier at the 2023 EGR B2B Awards along with the Innovation in Mobile award at the 2023 SBC Awards.
Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.
Canada
Jackpot Digital Receives Approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
Jackpot Digital, a leading manufacturer of electronic multiplayer dealerless poker tables, has announced that it has received approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) to act as a registered supplier of gaming supplies and services to regulated casinos in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
The approval follows the Company’s news release dated February 6, 2024, announcing the signing of a licensing agreement with the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) to install the Company’s Jackpot Blitz dealerless poker ETGs into SIGA casinos.
SIGA operates seven casinos and Playnow.com in Saskatchewan. At the outset, SIGA proposes to install Jackpot Blitz machines at its Dakota Dunes and Gold Horse Casino properties, located in Saskatoon and Lloydminster, respectively.
Jackpot CEO Jake Kalpakian said: “We are excited to receive approval as a gaming equipment supplier in Saskatchewan. This represents the first major jurisdictional, non-tribal license received by Jackpot during our continuing expansion into the land-based casino market. We have many more license applications underway in the US and other Canadian provinces, which will dramatically impact our ability to accelerate the rollout of Jackpot Blitz across North America.”
Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation
Play Alberta, CSEC Extend Partnership
Teams under the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) banner have expanded their long-term partnership with Play Alberta, the province’s premier iGaming destination. As part of the agreement, the Flames will feature AGLC’s responsible gambling program, GameSense, on their home helmets and a Play Alberta insignia displayed on their home jerseys. The Stampeders, Wranglers, and Roughnecks will integrate the Play Alberta logo onto their uniforms.
“There’s significant importance now to showcase meaningful responsible gambling efforts in the iGaming industry. I’m proud of our initiatives to provide GameSense with such a visible platform. GameSense promotes healthy gambling habits online and in person and including AGLC’s responsible gambling platform over the course of this partnership is a huge accomplishment,” Kandice Machado, Chief Executive Officer at AGLC.
The agreement makes Play Alberta the exclusive sports betting and online gaming partner of the Flames, Wranglers, Stampeders, and Roughnecks. Through the partnership, Play Alberta and CSEC will develop unique partnerships and in-arena giveaways during the season.
“Through GameSense, our partnership with Play Alberta equips our fans with the knowledge required if they wish to participate in gaming while they support their home team. We are both proud and excited to extend our relationship with Play Alberta that makes cheering for our teams that much more fun while also generating revenue to support the quality of life for Albertans,” said CSEC President and CEO Robert Hayes.
Alberta is the first jurisdiction in North America to partner with professional sports franchises and integrate PlayAlberta.ca and social responsibility branding onto uniforms. It upholds AGLC’s commitment to responsible play, raising awareness of GameSense and Self-Exclusion, resources that give bettors the tools they need to make healthy gambling choices.
In addition, proceeds generated through the website go toward the province’s General Revenue Fund. In 2023–24, $235 million was generated for programs and services that Albertans rely on every day through Play Alberta, an increase of more than $42 million from the previous year.
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