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The Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT) got a ton of press for all the wrong reasons after its Ladies Championship event awarded condoms and bottles of lubricant in additional prize packages to the top three finishers.
Sagami Rubber Industries, a Japanese manufacturer that produces condoms and other sexual products, sponsored the 30,000-yen ($190) tournament—an event that usually draws players accustomed to standard added perks like tournament entries, merchandise, or credits for top online casinos.
The JOPT’s social media announcement said:
“As additional prizes for 1st to 3rd place, Sagami Original 001 series, 99% water-based lubricant gel, T-shirts, and other products and apparel will be presented in sets according to ranking.
“Sagami, which has continued to create products for women and loving couples, supports the journey and challenges of women players.”
Unfortunately, the sponsorship activation completely missed the mark and went viral on social media after Twitter user @whitezexy expressed her frustration over the controversial prizes.
“Is this some kind of joke? The first-place prize for the women-only event is 150 condoms and lube?
“It’s a tournament meant to broaden the base of female players, yet they’re handing out massive quantities of sex products to the top three women. Honestly, it just looks like they’re treating the winners not as “players” but as sexual beings.
“Did really no one stop this prize list? The recipients’ names and photos are going to be announced publicly, so did anyone even once imagine how these women would feel receiving this? Going out of their way to prepare up to L-size feels like nothing but a sleazy design that invites people to speculate about the winners’ private lives and partners.
“Isn’t consideration for sponsors outweighing respect for the players? If you’re calling it a women-only event, at least treat women first and foremost as individual poker players. That’s what I think.”
Condoms and bottles of lube weren’t the only additional prizes to the event. Hoodies, socks, pearl rings, as well as books were also included in the packages for the top three finishers.
While these prizes were offered in addition to the roughly $11,000 guaranteed prize pool, this activation caused several players, including December 2025 JOPT Ladies Championship Winner ‘HarunA’, to pledge to boycott the tournament.
The JOPT, which sponsors two-time WSOP Ladies Championship winner Shiina Okamoto, held many other events that featured added prizes, including clothing, jewelry, cigars, and more.
Given the barriers women already face in poker, including gender stereotypes and sexual objectification, awarding condoms and lubricant to the winners of the Ladies Championship was always going to be a controversial move.
