WPT Global Reports Increased Canadian Player Registrations in 2025 Online Poker
WPT Global has disclosed that Canadian player registrations on its online poker platform have increased in 2025, with the brand's association with the World Poker Tour cited as a key driver of player acquisition in the Canadian market.
WPT Global, the online poker platform operated under licence from the World Poker Tour (WPT) brand, has reported an increase in Canadian player registrations in 2025. The disclosure, made through corporate communications rather than a formal regulatory filing, positions Canada as a growth market for the platform, which operates in multiple jurisdictions globally.
WPT Global’s Market Position
WPT Global launched its online poker operations in 2022, leveraging the World Poker Tour’s brand recognition built through decades of televised tournament poker. The platform targets recreational and semi-professional poker players and has sought to differentiate itself through its WPT brand association, tournament satellite offerings, and a progressive jackpot cash game product.
In Canada, WPT Global operates in a regulatory environment that varies by province. The platform is accessible to players in provinces outside Ontario’s regulated iGaming framework, where the list of licensed poker operators is defined by iGaming Ontario. The platform’s Canadian accessibility and the specific provinces in which it operates are subject to the regulatory environment applicable at the time of publication.
Canadian Registration Growth
WPT Global has attributed its Canadian player registration growth to several factors. The World Poker Tour’s historical presence in Canadian markets — including past WPT events held at Canadian casinos — provides brand familiarity that aids conversion of poker-interested consumers into registered players. The platform has also cited targeted marketing and a growing library of online tournament events that appeal to Canadian poker enthusiasts.
The platform has noted that Canadian players who qualify for WPT live tournament events through online satellites represent a valuable segment, as the aspiration to play in live WPT events is a meaningful motivator for online participation among tournament poker players.
Specific registration numbers have not been disclosed in publicly available communications. WPT Global has spoken to growth rates and market trends in percentage terms rather than providing absolute player counts, which is standard practice for private online gambling companies that are not required to file detailed player data with securities regulators.
Online Poker in Canada: Market Overview
Canada has a significant poker-playing population, and online poker remains one of the more popular forms of online gambling among Canadian consumers. The game’s skill element distinguishes it from pure chance-based casino products and contributes to a dedicated player base that actively seeks quality online platforms.
Ontario’s regulated market includes licensed online poker operators, creating a structured environment in that province. In other provinces, Canadian poker players access online platforms through a mix of domestic Crown-operated offerings and offshore operators, with the regulatory clarity varying by jurisdiction.
The Canadian online poker market has faced the same structural challenge as other online gambling sectors: offshore operators with large international player pools tend to offer better game selection, tournament prize pools, and liquidity than any single provincial platform can match unilaterally. WPT Global’s ability to aggregate players across multiple jurisdictions gives it a liquidity advantage that single-province operators cannot easily replicate.
Tournament Satellite Activity
WPT Global has highlighted satellite tournament activity as a growth area, with Canadian players increasingly entering online qualifiers for WPT live events. Satellite poker — where players compete online for seats at live tournaments — bridges the online and live poker ecosystems and is a historically successful driver of online poker platform engagement.
The 2025 WPT live event schedule includes stops at North American venues, providing Canadian satellite qualifiers with achievable destinations should they win a seat through the online platform.
Regulatory Outlook
The online poker space in Canada will continue to evolve as provincial regulatory frameworks develop. Any expansion of Ontario’s model to other provinces would likely bring additional clarity to the market and could either increase competitive pressure on platforms like WPT Global or create pathways for formal licensing, depending on how provincial frameworks are structured.
Sources
- WPT Global: https://www.wptglobal.com
- World Poker Tour: https://www.worldpokertour.com
- iGaming Ontario Licensee List: https://igamingontario.ca/en/operators