WSOP is facing criticism after it emerged that winners of WSOP Circuit ring events on its real-money online poker platform are not eligible for the $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, despite promotional material suggesting that all Circuit ring winners qualify.
The issue first surfaced after poker player Drake “Sweet4U” Kemper questioned why he had been denied a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package despite winning an Online Circuit ring.
Kemper pointed to WSOP promotional material stating that every gold ring winner during the 2026 WSOP Circuit season receives a Paradise package, with no indication that online Circuit events are excluded.
Jeff Platt, who joined WSOP in a full-time role ahead of this year’s summer series after spending years as one of the tour’s commentators and on-air hosts, responded that WSOP Online Circuit ring winners do not receive Paradise packages this year.
The clarification quickly drew criticism from players, many of whom argued that the promotion makes no distinction between live and online Circuit champions.
For years, winning a WSOP Circuit ring came with more than just the gold ring itself. Circuit champions earned a seat into the Tournament of Champions, the exclusive $1 million freeroll reserved for WSOP Circuit ring and bracelet winners.
Last year, that incentive was replaced by a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package. As things stand this year, however, that additional reward no longer appears to extend to players who win their rings through the WSOP Online platform.
While the full schedule for this year’s WSOP Paradise has yet to be announced, the festival is set to run from December 3–17 at Baha Mar Resort, replacing Atlantis Paradise Island as the host venue. Last year’s Paradise package awarded to Circuit ring winners included entry into the $2,500 WSOP Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty, and the promotion remains in place for 2026—except, apparently, for players who earn their rings through WSOP Online.
The confusion stems from the way the promotion is described across WSOP’s websites and Circuit pages. Promotional material states that all WSOP Circuit ring winners receive a $5,000 package to WSOP Paradise, with no distinction between live and online events.
The ownership structure has also added to the confusion. WSOP Online continues to be operated by Caesars Entertainment, while the WSOP brand itself is now owned by NSUS, the parent company of GGPoker.
In a response shared publicly by Mike Setera, a 12-time WSOP Circuit ring winner, a WSOP Online customer support representative wrote: “The package was not offered to our online players unfortunately. The WSOP is no longer part of Caesars Entertainment, and they are only offering it to their platform. We do not have access to this package.”
That explanation, however, does not fully address the concern being raised by players. WSOP Online continues to host official Circuit festivals every month across its shared player pool in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania, awarding between 12 and 24 official gold rings depending on the series.
Every tournament is clearly designated as a Circuit ring event, and the broader WSOP promotion states that WSOP Circuit ring winners receive a Paradise package without distinguishing between rings won on different platforms.
The contrast is particularly notable because winners of GGPoker’s WSOP Super Circuit Online Series earlier this year did receive Paradise packages alongside their Circuit rings. While that series serves the international market rather than the regulated US player pool, the differing approach has only added to the confusion.
To be fair, the dedicated promotional pages for the current WSOP Online Circuit series no longer state that ring winners receive a Paradise package. That wording, which appeared in previous years, has since been removed.
However, broader WSOP Circuit promotional material continues to advertise that Circuit ring winners receive a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, without specifying that WSOP Online events are excluded. Given that online events award official Circuit rings and that online champions previously received Tournament of Champions seats before those were replaced by Paradise packages, it’s understandable why players believed they were competing for the same reward.
Pokerfuse reached out to the WSOP press team for clarification on the policy and whether the exclusion of WSOP Online Circuit winners was intentional. A spokesperson said they would look into the matter, but no further comment had been received by the time of publication.
The next WSOP Online Circuit series begins on August 6 and runs through August 17, featuring 12 ring events and more than $1.3 million in guaranteed prize money. With another series just days away, a public clarification from WSOP would help ensure players know exactly what they are competing for and whether the $5,000 Paradise package is part of the prize.
