The launch of the GGPoker Ontario real money poker platform through its partnership with WSOP seems to be finally closing in. As reported by pokerfuse, modifications to their license application show some movement towards launch.
It will be the fifth among Ontario online poker apps and the fourth network in Ontario after 888, BetMGM/partypoker, and PokerStars.
As GGPoker will use the WSOP brand to enter the Ontario market, there is no doubt the pair will run WSOP-exclusive series in Canada’s largest province once they go live.
And that is exactly what they will be doing. While we do not yet exactly know the dates when GGPoker.ca will launch, one thing spied is that the pair will run Ontario’s first WSOP coveted series — the Ontario WSOP Online Circuit.
The series is likely to take place soon after the site goes live, allowing players in Ontario a chance to win the esteemed World Series of Poker gold ring from the comforts of their homes.
No other details are available yet, but looking at the circuit events run in other markets by WSOP and GGPoker, it is likely the maiden Ontario WSOP Online Circuit series will feature 12 or 18 ring events. There could be plenty of other side events, too. Guarantees and buy-ins will be denominated in Canadian dollars (CAD).
It will not be the only prestigious series available in Ontario this fall; the Ontario Circuit Series is likely to overlap with its competitors’ series.
PokerStars, which made its entry into the market in late June, will run its first-ever Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP) from October 1 to 17. It will feature total guarantees of over CAD $2 Million.
BetMGM network comprising BetMGM Poker Ontario, partypoker Ontario and bwin Ontario has planned an Ontario Poker Championships from September 11 to 26 boasting CAD $500,000 in prize money.
888poker, the first online poker room to enter the market, has scheduled no series for the fall but is expected to run its flagship XL Autumn series in October. It ran its first tournament series ChampionChip in August.
When is GGPoker.ca Going Live?
Both WSOP and GGPoker remain tight-lipped on when WSOP/GGPoker Ontario will launch. But as reported by pokerfuse, the pair is certainly making progress in entering the regulated Ontario online poker market.
Initially, the site was due to go live in early April. However, the launch was delayed and GGPoker continued to serve Ontario players from offshore.
However, a recent update to GG’s license application indicates it may be just days away before players in Ontario get to choose from another regulated online poker room.
On August 26, a second domain was added along with the original WSOP.CA domain. The mobile app name in the application has been tweaked to include GGPoker’s brand. There is a clear sign that the operator has been making progress in transitioning from a grey market to a regulated market.
It is likely that the site could go launch once the online bracelet series, currently running on the dot-com network on GGPoker, ends. The series runs until September 27.
Daniel Negreanu, the global ambassador of GGPoker and Ontario native, had already stated up-front ahead of the initial launch in April that there will be “exclusive WSOP rewards and tournaments” for players in Ontario.
“As a proud Ontario native, 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,” Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker Global Ambassador, was quoted as saying in a press release published in March.
Ontario WSOP Online Circuit will probably run at the same time as PokerStars’ ONCOOP Series, assuming WSOP.ca goes live in late September or early October.
Learn more in our comprehensive WSOP Ontario Review
