Following pokerfuse’s report on Friday, which generated widespread discussion across social media, WSOP has confirmed that eligible winners of WSOP Online Circuit events in both the US and international markets will continue to receive the $5,000 WSOP Paradise invitation package.
“We’ve listened to player feedback and are pleased to confirm that eligible winners of qualifying WSOP Online Circuit events in both the U.S. and international markets will continue to receive a $5,000 WSOP Paradise invitation package,” a WSOP spokesperson reiterated to pokerfuse the same statement it had earlier posted on X.
“These invitation packages are an added benefit funded by WSOP and are separate from online tournament prize pools. Additional details about the 2026 WSOP Paradise program, including the invitation package and full event schedule, will be announced soon,” the statement continued.
The clarification comes after several players questioned why winners of WSOP Online Circuit events on the US-facing WSOP Online platform had reportedly been told they were not eligible for the package, despite the WSOP promotional material stating that all WSOP Circuit ring winners would receive the reward.
The issue first came to light after poker player Drake “Sweet4U” Kemper wrote on X that he had been informed that he would not receive a 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 were excluded.
The confusion deepened when Jeff Platt, who joined WSOP in a full-time role ahead of this year’s summer series, responded that WSOP Online Circuit ring winners would not receive Paradise packages this year. Similar responses from WSOP Online customer support only added to the uncertainty.
Players were quick to question the policy, arguing that WSOP Online awards official WSOP Circuit rings and that the broader promotion made no distinction between live and online Circuit champions.
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Pokerfuse reached out to both WSOP and Caesars Online, which operates the US-facing WSOP Online platform, for clarification. A WSOP spokesperson initially said they would look into the matter before later providing an official response. Caesars Online, however, did not respond to Pokerfuse’s request for comment.
Now, a day later, WSOP has publicly confirmed that all eligible winners of online ring events in both the US and international markets on GGPoker will continue to receive the $5,000 WSOP Paradise invitation package, resolving the confusion and ensuring online Circuit champions remain eligible for the same reward.
The decision preserves an incentive that has become part of the Circuit experience in recent years. Until 2025, Circuit ring winners earned seats into the Tournament of Champions, the exclusive $1 million freeroll reserved for Circuit ring and bracelet winners. Last year, that reward was replaced by the $5,000 WSOP Paradise package.
August WSOP Online Circuit Offers a Dozen Rings
The clarification also comes just ahead of the next WSOP Online Circuit festival, scheduled for August 6–17. The series will award 12 official WSOP Circuit gold rings and feature more than $1.4 million in guaranteed prize money across the shared player pool in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
As is customary, one gold ring event is scheduled each day. Every tournament on the schedule carries a six-figure guarantee, with the exception of two events: the $75,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship and a $75,000 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo.
The festival opens with a $215 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack boasting a $100,000 guarantee, before ramping up over the opening weekend with an $888 Crazy 8’s event featuring a $125,000 guarantee on August 8, followed by a $100 Mystery Bounty with a $150,000 guarantee on August 9.
Other highlights include the $1,000 High Roller on August 11, guaranteeing $150,000, and a second Mystery Bounty on August 13 with a $320 buy-in and $125,000 guarantee. The schedule concludes with two marquee events: the $777 Lucky 7’s Mystery Bounty guaranteeing $125,000, followed by the $525 Main Event on August 16 with a $250,000 guarantee. The series wraps up the following day with a $215 No-Limit Hold’em event carrying a $100,000 guarantee.
With the eligibility question now settled, players competing in the upcoming series can once again do so knowing that eligible Circuit ring winners will earn both an official WSOP gold ring and a $5,000 invitation package to WSOP Paradise 2026, which takes place in December at Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas.
