New Beginnings
The World Poker Tour’s online sweepstakes poker site,ClubWPTGold, has officially launched across Canada. The platform is now live in every province except for Québec. The platform’s launch was revealed on social media.
The rollout was teased on social media and promoted by WPT brand ambassador and professional poker player Doug Polk. Canadian players were allowed to pre-register ahead of the launch.
ClubWPTGold is a free-to-join sweepstakes poker platform that is available in 44 U.S. states and now in 12 Canadian provinces and territories. They are entering the Canadian market following the recent exit of Global Poker.
VGW, Global Poker’s parent company, completely closed its operations in Canada on October 23rd. This included the Chumba Casino sweepstakes platform theyoperated. VGW said that the withdrawal was not due to regulatory pressure but because the company made a strategic decision to focus on its larger U.S. business, wherethe majority ofits customers are based. A spokesperson for VGW described it as a “difficult but strategic, isolated decision”.
Gameplay Changes
The platform initially used a dual-currency system that is common in North American sweepstakes gaming. Players combined Gold Coins for free play with Sweeps Coins that could be redeemed for cash prizes.
In late September,ClubWPTGold removed Gold Coins from the platform. Instead of using them on free-play tables, players can nowpurchasea poker training tool that analyses hands they have played. Each dollar spent on hand analysis earns one dollar in chips. The chips can be used in ring games and tournaments, offering real-value prizes.
Ongoing Scrutiny
The change came after several U.S. states, including Connecticut, Montana, and New Jersey, banned dual-currency sweepstakes gaming in 2025.ClubWPTGold has stoppedoperatingin those states. They have also ceased operation in Louisiana, Michigan, and Washington, where the regulators have actively cracked down on sweepstakes casinos. California also passed a sweepstakes ban in October, but the platform has not yet listed it as restricted.
In Canada, sweepstakes gaming faces fewer restrictions. It is classified as non-real-money gaming. It ispermittedacross the country without any regulatory oversight. The main exception is Québec, whichremainsexcluded from theClubWPTGold purview.
The WPT operates its real-money poker site, WPT Global, in most of Canada except Ontario. Ontario is the only Canadian province with a commercial regulated online gambling market. As a result, Ontario requires platforms to obtain a local license and restricts approved operators to player pools within the province. In other provinces and territories, Canadian playersare able touse this platform to compete in an international player pool spanning more than 100 countries.
They also have a subscription-based free-playoptioncalledClubWPT, which is available across Canada.
