WSOP Patch Approvals Split Sponsors Under NSUS Ownership
Reports said GGPoker, BetMGM, Winamax and ACR were approved, while CoinPoker, Phenom Poker and ClubWPT Gold were denied under Rule 52.
According to an Aug. 4 SCCG piece summarizing a Gambling Insider investigation, the WSOP’s 2026 patch-approval process gave host properties wide discretion and appeared to favor some sponsors over others. The report said patches were approved for GGPoker, BetMGM, Winamax and Americas Cardroom, while CoinPoker, Phenom Poker and ClubWPT Gold were denied.
The same report said the backdrop was NSUS Group’s 2024 purchase of the WSOP brand from Caesars Entertainment for $500 million, split between $250 million cash and a $250 million five-year promissory note secured against intellectual property. NSUS is incorporated in Canada and based in Toronto, with ultimate ownership tracing through a UK affiliate to a British Virgin Islands holding company whose shareholders are not public.
The 2026 rulebook replaced earlier blanket bans with Rule 52 for the series that ran from May 26 to July 15. Players had to submit any proposed logo, patch or promotional language in writing at least 24 hours before appearing at a streamed table, and approval rested at the host properties’ “sole and absolute discretion.”
CanadianPoker said no logos would be approved once a tournament day had started, while Poker.org reported that a player who refused to remove an unapproved patch could be disqualified. The updated rules also said logos could be blocked if they were deemed injurious or prejudicial to the interests of the host properties or the WSOP, and the number of representatives a single entity could have at a TV table was cut from three to two.
A crowd-sourced tally compiled by Shaun Deeb and broadcaster Joey Ingram matched the split described in the investigation, with approvals for GGPoker, BetMGM, Winamax and ACR and denials for CoinPoker, Phenom Poker and ClubWPT Gold. Poker.org also reported that Ingram called ACR and BetMGM approved partners at the WSOP.
Patrick “Pads” Leonard said his CoinPoker ambassador patch request was denied. On X, he said he was not sure how much he would play at the WSOP and warned that the rule could complicate things, adding that sites are less motivated to invest in players when the flagship series restricts outside investment.
CardPlayer linked the tougher patch policy to the 2025 ClubWPT Gold controversy, when a promotion offered certain players a gold ticket and an extra $1 million if they won a bracelet while wearing a ClubWPT Gold patch. After allegations of collusion in the $1,500 Millionaire Maker, WSOP withheld the bracelet from Jesse Yaginuma, split the money between the finalists and later banned Yaginuma and James Carroll from future events.
That same reporting said 2026’s Rule 40(e) was meant to stop third-party payouts tied to WSOP results, while Rule 40 still bars illegal, unethical or collusive conduct. WSOP did not respond to detailed questions about ownership or the patch process, and no disqualifications occurred during the 2026 series.
