WPT Announces Inaugural WPT Australia Event at The Star Gold Coast in Queensland

WPT Australia Cover
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  • Namita Ghosh May 29, 2019
  • 2 Minutes Read

One of biggest tournament brands in the business, the World Poker Tour (WPT) made a pronounced ‘Asia Swing’ last year where it held an inaugural stop in Vietnam before returning to India for a second consecutive year. In both countries, the WPT ran hugely successful editions. The WPT has undoubtedly been aggressive when it comes to expanding and establishing roots in new territories and going by the latest updates, it is now all geared up to conquer Australia!

On May 28, the WPT announced that it has entered a partnership with The Star Gold Coast located in Queensland to host the first-ever WPT Australia. The series will be making its debut on September 27 and a packed 10-event schedule that will run all the way till October 7.

Talking about the partnership, VP of Global Tour Management for WPT, Angelica Hael said, “The World Poker Tour is proud to add WPT Australia to our roster of wonderful global events and The Star Gold Coast as a casino partner. As a native Australian, I am thrilled to have a WPT event take place in my home country and even more pleased to have it hosted at such a wonderful property.”

Buy-ins at WPT Australia will range from A$330 to A$5,000 with the A$2,500 Main Event kicking off on October 4.

Managing Director, Queensland at The Star Gold Coast, Geoff Hogg was upbeat about the inaugural WPT series at his venue. “The Star Gold Coast and the nation of Australia welcome the World Poker Tour to our home for what is a monumental partnership. The Star Gold Coast has been transformed over the past three years and continues to evolve, with levels of investment that position us as a world-class global tourism destination. Australia is one of the top nations for poker in the world and this event further establishes The Star Gold Coast as a leader in the industry,” Hogg said.

Australia – A Growing Destination For Live Poker

Australia was traditionally a strong bastion for poker until 2017, when the country’s senate passed the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 that proposed an amendment to the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. The bill effectively banned online poker and other forms of internet gambling. Ironically, while the legislation required all providers of interactive gambling to license themselves in Australia, the country is yet to introduce a regulatory framework allowing online operators to apply for a license.

The legislation led to a mass exodus of major poker brands from the country. 888poker announced its exit from the Australian online poker market in January 2017 and before long, 32Red Casino, Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) and online casinos like Guts Casino, Betspin, Rizk Casino, Thrills, Kaboo, and SuperLenny pulled out. Global giant PokerStars too confirmed in August that it was closing operations for Australian players while Winning Poker Network (WPN) withdrew in September 2018.

Online poker seems to have died a hasty death in Australia, but keeping hope alive for thousands of Australian poker fans is the lively casino culture that continues to thrive down under. Australia plays host to many popular annual stops like The Star Poker Sydney Champs, Australia Poker Tour (APT) and one of the world’s biggest live poker events – the Aussie Millions.

For WPT, an entry in Australia not only gives it access to a mature and sizeable market but this is good news for the country’s poker players as well who have suffered the brunt of restrictive government policies.

The Star Gold Coast is one of the most upmarket hotels in Australia. The fact that it has recently undergone a facelift at the cost of A$850 Million, including the refurbishment of its 596 hotel rooms and a new 56-suite hotel ‘The Darling’ makes it an excellent choice as a venue for the WPT.

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