As 2026 gets underway, GGPoker continues to sit firmly atop the global online poker rankings – a position it has held for four consecutive years. Despite some moderation in growth compared to earlier years, the operator’s dominance remains unchallenged as it looks toward new opportunities in regulated markets worldwide.

Record-Breaking Performance in 2025

The past year saw GGPoker achieve multiple milestones that underscored its market position. The platform reached unprecedented concurrent user numbers, first crossing 500,000 simultaneous players before later surpassing 600,000. These figures represent a significant achievement in the competitive online poker landscape.

Tournament offerings continued to drive player engagement. The GG World Festival generated over $324 million in prize money, making it the operator’s second-largest festival to date. Meanwhile, the $100 million WSOP Super Circuit series and the post-Las Vegas online bracelet series – which paid out nearly $120 million – kept players engaged throughout the year.

The operator’s promotional strategy remained aggressive, with monthly spending reaching as high as $14 million and culminating in a $25 million Christmas promotion. A new $100,000 weekly freeroll launched in October added another layer to the platform’s player acquisition efforts.

Product Innovation and Platform Development

Several product updates rolled out during 2025 aimed at improving the player experience. The Time Bank Card feature represented a significant overhaul of time management in tournaments, while Swipefest targeted the growing mobile player demographic.

The introduction of WSOP Express created a new satellite pathway allowing players to qualify for major live events starting from just $0.50 buy-ins. Additionally, Streamer Mode launched as an effort to reinvigorate poker content on streaming platforms.

Perhaps most notably for tournament regulars, GGPoker doubled the guarantee on its flagship GGMasters Freezeout from $500,000 to $1 million, bringing it into direct competition with PokerStars’ Sunday Million.

Strategic Partnerships and Brand Evolution

The full integration of the World Series of Poker brand – acquired by parent company NSUS in 2024 – continued throughout 2025. GGPoker sponsored The Poker Room at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto and partnered with training platform GTO Wizard.

On the ambassador front, the roster saw changes with the departure of Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and the addition of Michael Mizrachi following his dual victories in the Poker Players Championship and WSOP Main Event.

The operator retained its Poker Operator of the Year title at the EGR Awards for the second consecutive year, providing industry recognition for its performance.

Regional Market Activity

GGPoker pursued targeted regional strategies rather than broad expansion in 2025. In Poland, the operator moved quickly following PokerStars’ market exit, launching the Polish Poker League alongside Poland-exclusive tournaments.

The UK and Ireland saw a face-off marketing campaign featuring comedian Johnny Vegas, while the operator secured licensing in Denmark through an agreement with state lottery operator Danske Spil, though operations have not yet launched. GGPoker also re-entered Bosnia and Herzegovina during the year.

Changes to social poker platform ClubGG included an exit from the UK market and domain migration as part of a broader strategic pivot.

2026 Outlook: US Market Entry Remains Key Question

The most significant question facing GGPoker as 2026 begins centers on potential US market access. The current software agreement between WSOP and 888poker is set to expire, creating an opening for WSOP’s online operations to potentially migrate to GGPoker’s platform.

While no official announcements have been made, the opportunity represents GGPoker’s clearest path to establishing a presence in regulated US states—a market the operator has long expressed interest in entering.

Beyond North America, Denmark appears likely to see a GGPoker launch following last year’s licensing agreement, while Greece and Switzerland represent other potential regulated markets that could come into play.

WSOP Evolution Under New Ownership

With a full year of WSOP brand ownership under its belt, 2026 may mark the point where NSUS’s influence becomes more visible in WSOP scheduling and structure. Early indicators include a revamped Player of the Year race, a restructured WSOP Europe schedule with a new venue and timing, and speculation about potential changes to the Las Vegas bracelet event calendar.

These adjustments could signal the beginning of a longer-term evolution in how the world’s most prestigious poker brand operates under its new ownership structure.

Challenges and Controversies

Not everything went smoothly in 2025. The GGMasters Anniversary tournament faced technical issues leading to its postponement and eventual cancellation. Several ghosting controversies emerged, including one involving a GGPoker ambassador who received an indefinite ban but later appeared at a WSOP event.

These incidents highlight ongoing challenges around platform stability and fair play enforcement that even the industry’s largest operator must continually address.

Bottom Line

GGPoker enters 2026 from a position of strength, with market-leading player numbers, industry-leading promotional spending, and the backing of the WSOP brand. The operator’s ability to secure US market access – and how it manages the continued integration of WSOP properties – will likely define whether 2026 becomes a transformational year or simply another chapter of sustained dominance.

For players, the outlook remains positive: large guarantees, innovative formats, and aggressive promotions show no signs of slowing down. Whether competing operators can mount a challenge to GGPoker’s supremacy, or if the gap continues to widen, will be one of the industry’s key storylines to watch in the months ahead.