The World Poker Tour and PokerBaazi agreed to host WPT tournaments online for players in India, the companies said. The arrangement will allow Indian players to compete remotely in WPT events. WPT chief executive Adam Pliska said the partnership would expand the tour’s presence in the country.
The agreement gives PokerBaazi players access to online WPT tournaments in India.
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ClubWPT Gold indicated that it expects to enter Canada later in the autumn, while the scope of any launch remains unclear. The brand said it had previously limited play to US residents following legal advice, and did not confirm whether Ontario or Québec would be included.
India’s parliament passed a bill prohibiting real-money online games, prompting MPL, Dream11, Zupee, PokerBaazi, My11Circle and WinZO to end paid offerings. MPL confirmed significant India team cuts, reportedly reducing staff from 500 to around 200, while A23 filed a challenge in the Karnataka High Court; Dream11 said it would retain staff and end its cricket-team sponsorship.
India’s parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 on 22 August, and the president signed it into law on 24 August, the source reports. The law prohibits offering, promoting or financing online money games, with prison terms of up to five years; e-sports and educational games are exempt, and the ministry must notify the act.
Thailand’s Ministry of Interior ended the poker ban under new rules effective 30 July 2025, and the Sports Authority of Thailand recognised poker as a sport on 23 July. The government also agreed to host a World Poker Tour event, with the source saying play was limited to six hours a day on weekdays.
Holland Casino will host the World Series of Poker at its Amsterdam Centrum venue from 14 to 22 March 2025, the parties announced. Holland Casino said the WSOP’s arrival ends its cooperation with the World Poker Tour in Amsterdam, where WPT events ran from 2015 to 2024 except in 2021.