
Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto’s new poker room is now the exclusive home of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Ontario.
In the announcement, Great Canadian Entertainment lauded its “exciting new partnership” with the “World’s Biggest Poker Room,” GGPoker—now the official sponsor of The Poker Room at its swanky Toronto Casino Resort. Per the release, the arrangement will offer players “unmatched poker experiences,” cementing the resort as Ontario’s “premier” destination for poker fans.
Through the partnership, Great Canadian Toronto becomes Ontario’s only WSOP tournament destination for bracelet and ring events.
Great Canadian EVP Michael Kim expressed the company’s excitement over the deal in the release.
We’re thrilled to partner with GGPoker to deliver a world-class poker experience. This collaboration ups the ante on Toronto’s poker offerings giving players access to the top tournaments and rewards, and cements Great Canadian Toronto as the go-to destination for a world-class poker experience in the city.
WSOP’s first-ever Ontario circuit stop preceded partnership
Before the announcement, WSOP had previously partnered with GGPoker for its Ontario online poker site, unlike its US operations, which use Evoke (formerly 888) tech. Nearly two years later, GG’s parent company, NSUS, bought WSOP and its online branding rights from Caesars Entertainment.
In between, Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto hosted the WSOP Circuit’s first-ever Ontario stop in March of last year—including the largest international main event of the season.
Great Canadian has described the tournament as a “resounding” success:
Over 11 unforgettable days in March, more than 6,000 entries, including 324 Main Event online qualifiers from GGPoker, competed for a record-breaking prize pool of $5.5 million. This far exceeded the initial $3.9 million estimate, underscoring the immense popularity of poker in Toronto. The various tournaments included the $2,000 Main Event with a prize pool of $2.8 million and the $3,500 High Roller event with a $1 million prize pool.
In that light, this latest deal cements the partnership’s exclusivity rather than an entirely new relationship.
Great Canadian says the newly branded poker room will offer players an enhanced experience featuring high-definition screens and “modern” furniture.
Visitors will also benefit from high-speed Wi-Fi and a dedicated players’ lounge. Members of the operator’s rewards program, Great Canadian Rewards, will also enjoy exclusive perks at “Toronto’s premier entertainment destination.”
Will Toronto get live WSOP bracelet events?
It’s interesting to note that the deal announcement references both ring and bracelet events as a possibility for Great Canadian Casino.
Traditionally, WSOP only awards rings at circuit stops. For much of its history, it reserved the coveted gold bracelets for its annual series in Las Vegas.
However, since 2007, some online and international events, like WSOP Europe, have awarded bracelets. In 2015, WSOP awarded its first online bracelet. To date, the only bracelets awarded in Canada have been awarded through online events at WSOP.ca.
Reading between the lines, Great Canadian Toronto might be in line to host one or more in-person bracelet events through the partnership, perhaps even a Canadian series. If so, that would be big news for Canadian poker players. However, we can’t be sure until the WSOP announces its 2025 events dates, which it has said are “coming soon.”
GGPoker’s managing director, Sarne Lightman, said in the announcement that the company’s relationship with Great Canadian will entrench Ontario as a premier poker hub.
We are excited to partner with Great Canadian to elevate the poker experience in Toronto. This partnership will combine the best of live and online poker, offering players premier tournaments, unmatched rewards, and solidifying Ontario as a hub for world-class poker.