GGPoker Review

Since GGPoker's humble beginnings in 2014 when it was primarily focused on Asian markets, things have changed pretty dramatically as the brand has rapidly expanded and taken the world by storm, quickly becoming the hottest new global online poker site. As the marquee skin on the larger GGNetwork, the brand’s rise in recent years has been nothing short of amazing.

The brand’s growth exploded in 2020 when GGPoker partnered with the World Series of Poker (WSOP). When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the globe, GGPoker stepped up to the plate, providing a platform for the WSOP to move online in 2020, and the results were massive, including the largest online prize pool in history.

The site’s impressive growth and epic tournaments have attracted some of the biggest names in the game to join the GGTeam as brand ambassadors. Among the players that have signed on with the GGPoker brand are Daniel Negreanu, Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, Jason Koon, and Fedor Holz. Felipe Ramos leads the brand in the Brazilian market, while Mikhail “Innerpsy” Shalamov and Anatoly Filatov represent the operator in Russia.

As the premier skin on the GGNetwork, GGPoker shares a global player pool across several other skins, including Natural8, making GG a pivotal online partner for major live tours that were forced online during the pandemic. Over the last few years, everything aligned to push GGPoker into the top tier of online poker.

Whether you are unfamiliar with GG or want to see what all the hype is about and see why it is one of the top online poker sites in the world, then you have come to the right place. In our comprehensive GGPoker Review, written by our team of industry experts, we cover:

• All the details of the GGPoker Welcome Bonus and step-by-step instructions on how to sign up and get the best deal.
• How the GGPoker Fish Buffet rewards program works and how to get cashback just by playing poker.
• A detailed overview of tournaments, including WSOP and GGMasters.
• A comprehensive guide to all the GGPoker promotions and how to get the most value out of the site.
• Side-by-side comparisons to see how GG stacks up against the competition, including its biggest rival in our GGPoker vs PokerStars breakdown.
• An in-depth review of the GGPoker mobile app and software.
• An all-encompassing FAQ … and much much more.

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the site that has quickly taken the global poker scene by storm.

GGPoker Welcome Bonuses

New players at GGPoker have a choice of bonuses to welcome them to the platform. Players can choose between $100 in rewards or a 100% deposit match up to $600.

How to get your GGPoker Welcome Bonus:

• Click our exclusive link to go straight to the registration page, where you will be taken right to the welcome offers. No special bonus code is required.
• Create your new GGPoker account.
• Make your first deposit of at least $10 or $20, depending on which of the two bonuses you choose.
• Select either Deposit Bonus or Rewards from the dropdown menu when prompted to choose your bonus.

GGPoker Welcome Bonus Option #1: The Deposit Bonus

• Make a deposit of $10 or more
• GGPoker will match your deposit by 100%, up to $600. Once your deposit is complete, the bonus funds will automatically be credited to your bonus account.
• Your bonus funds are then released in increments of $5 for every $20 rake or tournament fee.
• Players have 60 days to make additional deposits to get the full $600 in matched bonus, and 90 days to release the bonus balance in full.

It is important to note that GGPoker uses the net rake model. The calculation of the total rake paid is influenced by tournament overlays, payment fees, and other factors, so the amount of rake you pay may be different from the total amount used to calculate the bonus playthrough.

The best way to keep track is by using Fish Buffet points. You are awarded 100 points for every $1 in net rake paid, so every time you collect 2000 Fish Buffet points, you will unlock $5 in bonus funds.

GGPoker Welcome Bonus Option #2: The Freeplay Bonus

If you choose the other welcome bonus option, you will need to make a deposit of at least $20 and then in lieu of the deposit match, you will get up to $100 in rewards. GGPoker will give you $52.50 worth of All-in or Fold tickets, with the opportunity to earn $47.50 more in cash.

AoF tickets are distributed as follows:

To get the extra cash, you will need to join All-in or Fold tables (AoF) and play the designated number of hands every day. With each new milestone you reach, you will unlock the next reward.

Finally, if you successfully complete all six challenges in six days, you will receive an additional $10 in cash.

So, the total value of this bonus package is $100, provided you manage to clear all the challenges. Even if you do not hit all the targets, any extra cash you manage to unlock along the way is yours to keep.

The room also runs special limited-time bonus promotions on top of the bonus, so be sure to check the current promos on the GGPoker website when creating your account.

Additionally, every new player on the site is invited to participate in the 30-Day Honeymoon Challenge. Once you have completed the registration process, opt into the Honeymoon promo, complete the daily challenges, and reap up to $350 worth of rewards. It’s a great way to get to know the site and explore its features while being rewarded to do so. Full details are below in the 'Promos’ Section of our GGPoker Review.

GGPoker Rewards

Get in line for the Fish Buffet. The Fish Buffet program is how GGPoker rewards its frequent players. Earn up to 60% cashback just by playing poker or casino games.

The Fish Buffet is your chance to earn cashback just by playing poker. Yes, it’s that easy! On average, for every $1 spent on poker rake or tournament fees, players earn 100 Fish Buffet Points (FP). Actual points may vary depending on factors such as game type. Players also earn FPs by wagering on casino games.

Players start as Plankton and work their way up the food chain to Shark based on the number of points they earn. The higher up the food chain you go, the more rewards you’ll earn in the form of cashback and free tickets.

The highest cashback level is 60% for the premier GGPlatinum level, with lower Platinum levels paying out from 35% to 55%. Platinum level players also qualify for Flat Cashback Weekly Payout while lower levels spin for their prizes.

Players can choose to move up or down the ranks, choosing rewards that best suit their play style and volume. For example, all Octopi, Crabs, and Shrimps can switch to Platinum Fish, while all Whales can switch to Platinum Octopus. Equally, you can move down — a Platinum Fish can drop back to Bronze Shrimp to work for a higher level, and a Platinum Octopus can move down to Bronze Whale.

Start your journey up the poker food chain. With the new Fish Buffet, you can go from Plankton to Platinum Shark in no time.

Understanding the GGPoker PVI System

Something that many players do not know is that GGPoker uses the Player Value Index (or PVI for short) when calculating your rake contribution. What this means is that the exact amount paid in rake does not necessarily have to correspond with the amount of rake calculated by the room.

Nobody knows exactly how the PVI works, as the company keeps it under wraps. What is known is that there are several different tiers and the rake contribution will depend on the tier the player is placed into.

In a nutshell, you could pay $1000 in rake, for example, but the room will only count it as $600 or $700 (on the low end) or as much as $1300+ (on the high end).

Again, the whole system is not very transparent, but the gist of it is that casual and losing players generally get a higher PVI, while winning regulars are stuck with a lower PVI. This is important because the index also influences the collection of Fish Buffet points, which directly influences the amount of rakeback one can expect to receive.

GGPoker is not the only poker site to use this system. Many operators have adopted a similar approach in recent years, looking to balance things and offset casual players’ losses by providing them with better rewards.

Whether the PVI system is fair or not? The jury is still out on that one and trying to answer that question would make this GGPoker review far too long.

GGPoker Promotions

GGPoker offers a wide range of promos, including leaderboards and daily prizes. The operator also offers special limited-time promotions that are time-sensitive, so be sure to check the main GGPoker webpage to see what current promos are available and to find any currently active GGPoker bonus codes.

Honeymoon Promo for Newcomers

GGPoker welcomes new players in style with its rather unique, entertaining, and quite rewarding Honeymoon Promo. This promotion offers up to $350 worth of free stuff, so those new to the site really reap special benefits while they explore and get to know the site. It really is a proper honeymoon period.

To get started, you will need to opt into the promo. This is easy enough to do from your GGPoker account, and there is even a special floating icon reminding new players to get involved. Click “Start Honeymoon” on the home page, and you are all set. You will not need to use a GGPoker bonus code to start your honeymoon.

Once you have opted in, you will get access to daily missions. Completing these will unlock access to *special rewards, ranging from Spin & Gold tickets to tournament dollars to straight-up cash.

There are 30 missions in total and several thresholds along the way. Naturally, missions heighten as you progress, but so do the rewards for the next milestone. To give you an idea of what to expect, it could be as simple as showing your hand after winning a pot without a showdown or playing a certain number of hands at PLO tables.

The total value of the Honeymoon promo will depend on the number of missions you get to complete within 30 days. This is how things break down:

Remember that you need to manually opt into the Honeymoon promotion and do so within seven days from first signing up at GGPoker. If you do not do it within this time frame, the promo will expire and will no longer be available to you.

GGPoker’s Daily Freebie

Every day, players are eligible for the Daily Freebie simply by signing into their GGPoker account. To get your Daily Freebie, all you need to do is log in at least once per day and then claim your freebie from the promo section.

Daily Freebie Rewards:

Spin & Gold Challenge

Those with some time on their hands and looking to put in a serious grind are going to love the GGPoker Spin & Gold Challenge. It is a fairly time-consuming promo, but if you are about to put in a big session anyways, why not earn some extra cash along the way?

The main goal of these challenges is to collect the requisite number of gold coins to receive your reward. The time spent on the grind, the buy-in of the tournaments, as well as your finishing position determine the number of gold coins you receive at the end of every Spin & Gold.

There are all sorts of challenges to choose from, so you can pick the one that seems realistic and you believe you can finish. The toughest challenge requires you to play eight hours straight and collect 35,000 in gold, but the biggest prize you can claim is $500, so it is worth the effort.

It is important to note that once you opt into a particular challenge, you are locked in. Of course, you are free to stop the challenge at any time, but all gold coins collected up to that point will be lost.

Bubble Protection

To entice players to register for tournaments before they start, GGPoker has come up with an interesting promotion — if you register for a tournament early and end up busting on the dead bubble, i.e. just short of making money, you will still receive your buy-in back.

All the tournaments with this feature turned on have a “Bubble Protection” stamp next to them and the protection is available for a majority of popular events on GGPoker. The number of protected players depends on the field size, as follows.:

• Up to 100 players — 1 player
• 100 to 499 players — 2 protected players
• 500 – 999 — 3 players, etc.

The maximum number of bubble protections active in a single tournament is 10 for the events featuring fields with 10,000 or more entries.

WSOP Promos: Win WSOP Bracelets and Rings on GGPoker

As you probably know, GGPoker has partnered up with the World Series of Poker (WSOP) to be its online partner for the rest-of-the-world market. Thus, GG is the only poker site outside of the US that gives you a chance to compete for real-life WSOP gold bracelets and WSOP Circuit rings.

GGPoker has been hosting the online leg of the World Series of Poker for the international market, including the WSOP 2023. The tournament schedule grows every year, giving players more chances at a bracelet and adding new poker variations to the mix.

The operator also hosts online WSOPC events, where players can compete for WSOP rings and generous prizes in a variety of tournaments scattered throughout the year.

Variety of Jackpots

Any GGPoker review would not be complete without mentioning the great number of special jackpots you can win while playing on the site. This adds some extra excitement to the sessions and gives everyone a chance to win big with a single (un)lucky hand.

• Big Hand Jackpot: Make four of a kind or better on PLO or Hold’em cash tables using two hole cards
• Flush Jackpot: Make a flush or better on Short Deck Hold’em tables
• All-In or Fold Jackpot: Make a straight flush or better in Hold’em or Royal Flush in Omaha
• Bounty Jackpot: Knock out your opponent and stand a chance to win an additional bounty jackpot of up to $1 million.

Leaderboards

There are Leaderboards galore on GGPoker so, no matter what you play, you can likely compete for extra prizes through the Leaderboards. Play for the top of the board in cash games like Rush & Cash, Hold’em, Omaha, and Short Deck, as well as in tournament formats like Spin & Gold, and Flip & Go, with Leaderboard values up to $50,000.

GGTeam: Brand Ambassadors

Looking to become the leader in the international online poker scene, GGPoker has employed the help of numerous high-profile ambassadors. The biggest name backing the brand at the moment is Daniel Negreanu, former main ambassador for PokerStars. Negreanu has certainly helped the brand grow and expand its global reach.

Other names on the GGTeam roster include Bertrand 'ElkY’ Grospellier, Jason Koon, Fedor Holz, Jeff Gross, Kevin Martin, and several other very strong, if not as well-known players.

GGPoker Comparison: How Does It Stack Up vs. The Competition?

Looking at GGPoker on its own, there is a lot that this poker room has to offer players of all stakes and sizes. But GG is certainly not the only option on the market and the operator has some very strong competition from the likes of PokerStars and partypoker.

Let’s see how GGPoker stacks up against the main competitors in the most important aspects, such as the welcome bonuses, quality of promotions, variety of games, the GGPoker app vs other apps, and more.

GGPoker vs. PokerStars

Although a few months ago, GGPoker was in close competition with PokerStars for the title of the world’s leading online poker platform. Today, GGPoker has surged ahead, boasting three times the traffic of PokerStars.

In fact, it recently achieved the milestone of exceeding 10,000 cash game players based on a 7-day moving average, a feat accomplished by only a few operators and is the third network to do so, following PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

While GGPoker is dominating, it is worth comparing how it stacks up against its biggest rival: PokerStars. So when put side to side, how do these two giants compare?

Welcome bonuses from both operators are quite similar. The standard depositor’s package is 100% up to $600 on both sites. However, the second option, geared towards more recreational players, is different.

PokerStars offers straight-up $30 worth of free play upon a deposit, while GGPoker features over $50 worth of tickets and the chance to earn $47.50 extra. Those looking to boost up their bankroll from a small deposit will find more value at GGPoker.

Both platforms offer robust MTT schedules, but GGPoker has also taken the lead in this department, hosting major tournament series with nine-figure prize pools and the unique opportunity to win WSOP bracelets and rings — making it the only room outside of the US to offer such prestigious prizes.

Both sites have great software solutions and mobile apps, but GGPoker takes the win in this department. With all the extra options and features, such as the staking platform and the in-game Smart HUD, this is probably the best online poker platform out there.

GGPoker vs. partypoker

partypoker is another major name in the online poker industry, but it is fair to say that GGPoker has already surged ahead in all important aspects.

The welcome offer at partypoker is almost identical to the one available at PokerStars, so GGPoker offers more value overall for recreational and small-stakes players.

While partypoker has a decent tournament schedule in its own right, GGPoker’s offering is more robust and comprehensive. There is much more variety and a better spread of buy-ins.

Looking at the software, GGPoker takes an overall win, but we must give credit where credit is due — partypoker has revamped its mobile app taking things to a whole new level. Thus, those players who spend a lot of time playing on their phones might find a slightly better experience with partypoker.

Multi-Table Tournaments

GGPoker has some of the best tournaments in the online game right now. As the global home for brands like WSOP, including the WSOP Online Circuit Series, the operator deals some of the biggest online games you’ll find anywhere.

In addition to massive series from its big partner brands, GGPoker runs regular weekly series such as the GGMasters and MILLION$ and also offers the trending Mystery Bounty tournaments.

2023 WSOP Online

GGPoker recently concluded the 2023 WSOP Online, featuring 33 bracelet events from August 20 to October 2. This was the fourth installment of the online bracelet series hosted on the platform for international players.

Once again, the series was a huge success. It generated nearly $100 million in prizes and brought in over $6 million in profits for the operator.

In terms of average prize pool per tournament, this year’s edition was the most successful, averaging almost $3 million across 33 completed bracelets.

The Main Event, which featured a $25,000,000 guarantee, smashed its previous record for the world’s largest online poker tournament. It attracted over 6000 entrants to amass a prize pool of $28,609,250.

Mystery Bounty

GGPoker is among the first international operators to spread the latest trendy tournament format called Mystery Bounty. In this format inspired by the concept of bounties, it is played similarly to progressive knockouts (PKOs), with a certain portion of the buy-in (50%) going towards the bounty pool, but with a unique twist — the bounties are randomized.

These tournaments are typically divided into two phases: Initial and Final, with the bounties coming into play during the Final Phase.

Mystery Bounty tournaments on GGPoker are available at various buy-in levels, ranging from $15 to $1050, and run daily. This format is also featured heavily in GGPoker’s tournament series.

GGMasters Weekly Schedule

GGMasters is a weekly series of freezeout games with regular buy-ins of $25 with bigger games on weekends.

Beat the Pros

Every Saturday, players have a chance to Beat the Pros. For a $210 buy-in, players can sit down with some of the best in the game. If you manage to eliminate any of the Pros (look for nicknames in blue, yellow, or purple to identify your targets), you’ll be awarded a free ticket to the $5,000 Beat the Pros Winners’ Freeroll.

The Winners’ Freeroll ticket will be for the following week and starts at the same time as the main game. Beat the Pros is your chance to play against your poker heroes and win a nice bounty for successfully eliminating one.

Global MILLION$ Weekly Schedule

The MILLION$ is a weekly tournament series with more than $4 million guaranteed at 4 different levels. In addition to the Global MILLION$, detailed below, there is also Zodiac MILLION$ in the Asian market with ¥1,000,000 guaranteed for ¥210 entry fee.

Battle Royale

Battle Royale is an innovative format offered by GGPoker. This action-packed game is a 30-player Progressive Bounty Sit & Go that comes in three stages: Rush, Shootout, and Bounties.

Stage 1, known as Rush, initiates with 30 players in a fast-paced 5-handed variant. It concludes either when only 15 players remain or after 15 minutes have passed. During this phase, players have the opportunity to claim bounties on their opponents.

Stage 2, the Shootout, poses the challenge of surviving at a 3-player table within a 5-minute timeframe. Once the clock runs out, players are pushed all-in every hand until only one player remains.

Survivors of Stage 2 progress to Stage 3, the Final Table, where all remaining players reach In the Moneyy. This phase proceeds as a standard bounty tournament format.

Currently, Battle Royale on GGPoker comes in four different buy-ins: $0.25, $1, $3, and $10.

Flip & Go

The Flip & Go format is unique to GGPoker. Players can choose to buy in with one to eight stacks and the tournaments start with a skill-based flip-out portion at the beginning where players are dealt three cards and have 30 seconds to discard one. From that point on, every hand is automatically all-in, and the winner of each table is already in the money.

Once table winners have been determined from the all-in phase, the remaining players are all in the money. From there, the game plays like a normal tournament where players start with an average of 40 big blinds. Flip & Go is a great way to spice up your regular tournament schedule with a faster-paced game.

Spin & Gold

Spin & Gold is GGPoker’s version of a jackpot sit & go format. These three-handed, hyper-turbo games have a few twists at GG though. The biggest switch-up may be the Insurance feature.

Generally, spinning a 2x prize in a jackpot format is a losing proposition. In GG’s Spin & Gold, however, spinning a 2x prize pool immediately activates the insurance feature which, if players chose to opt-in at the start, pays back the buy-in and insurance cost, rendering the game an effective freeroll.

The other main difference with Spin & Gold is a flatter prize structure. The prizes for the lower buy-in games remain a winner-takes-all affair, but the 10x and 25x prize pool levels payout two spots, and, for the biggest prize pools, all three players are guaranteed to get money out of the game*.

Spin & Gold games are as cheap as $.25, and buy-ins go up to $200 with up to $1 million in possible prizes. These are available on the desktop software and GGPoker app, so players can easily play at home or on the go.

Cash Games at GGPoker

GGPoker offers cash games in a variety of formats. Choose between Hold’em, Omaha, Short Deck, the fast-fold format of Rush & Cash, and the innovative All-in or Fold.

In 2020, GGPoker introduced nano stakes, opening up tables with blinds as low as $0.01/0.02. Introducing NL2 and PLO2 games helped the operator further ramp up its cash game action, which has been growing exponentially over the last few years. Adding micro stakes to the mix made GGPoker even more accessible to all players, allowing everyone to try their hand at online poker and start building their bankroll from a very small deposit.

In the regular cash games, as much as $20,000 in extra bonus money is guaranteed through Daily Leaderboards. Both Omaha and Hold’em cash games have $20,000 in extra prizes, while Short Deck cash games have $10,000 added each day for the best performers.

Rush & Cash

Rush & Cash is GGPoker’s version of the fast-fold cash game. As with other versions of fast-fold, players can opt to fold their cards immediately and move to a new hand, but there’s a twist at GG — players in the Rush & Cash format can earn the equivalent of 65% rake-back through periodic cash drops that randomly add money to pots at the start of the hand.

Rush & Cash is available for as low as $.01/$.02 up to the $1/$2 level, and has both Hold’em and Omaha varieties.

All-In or Fold

If you are looking for even faster action, All-In or Fold has you covered. In these four-handed games, you only have two options for any given hand — as the name implies, you can either go all-in or fold your hand.

Buy in for eight big blinds, and the action takes off. You can remove chips over eight big blinds from the table to protect your winnings or roll it all into the next hand as you win hands.

Added to the prizes available at the All-In or Fold tables, players have a shot at jackpot prizes with every all-in. The jackpot builds all the time, with 50% of the fee for all games added to the total. To win your share of the jackpot, just hit a straight flush in hold’em (using both your hole cards) or a royal flush in Omaha (using two of your hole cards).

GGPoker App & Software Review

GGPoker runs on some of the best poker software in the business, with innovative features not found on any other platform. Hosting the 2020 WSOP Online helped stabilize the platform with high volume leading to a modern platform that is highly stable.

GG has not sacrificed innovation for stability, though. The GGPoker platform hosts unique features not seen anywhere else, and the GGPoker app is a top-quality product.

Staking Platform

The Staking Platform is the biggest innovation on this network. It gives players a new way to sweat the poker action, and this unique feature definitely deserves a few paragraphs in our GGPoker review.

As a Seller, you can sell up to 90% of your action for whatever markup you see fit. For example, if you sell action in a $10 buy-in at a 2x markup, a Buyer can buy 5% of your action for $1. If you cash out for $100 in the tournament, the buyer is entitled to 5% of your winnings, or $5.

As a Buyer, you can scour the Staking boards to buy a piece of friends, rivals, or poker heroes. Buy pieces as small as 1% (or .1% for games bigger than $5,000), or buy up everything on offer, and you’ll have a chance to share in whatever winnings your horse brings in.

Once a stake is purchased, it is generally non-refundable. However, sellers can cancel the sale of action or unregister from the target tournament before the action starts or in cases where the tournament might be canceled for unforeseen circumstances. In these cases, purchased stakes will be refunded.

Bubble Protection

GGPoker helps make the experience of bubbling a tournament less painful with Bubble Protection. Just register any eligible tournament before it starts, and you are protected from bubbling.

One to 10 players will get their buy-in back in Tournament Dollars (T$), depending on the number of original entries. Bubble Protection is available, regardless of whether you buy in with cash or T$.

Tournaments with Bubble Protection:

• Daily Guarantees
• Bounty Hunters
• Omaholic
• Phoenix Rebuy
• MBP

GGPoker’s Smart HUD

GGPoker prohibits the use of third-party applications like Heads Up Displays (HUDs). In lieu of external apps, GG offers its own in-game solution to help boost your play with data on your opponents. The Smart HUD is built right into the GGPoker platform, so it is always there and ready to assist.

GGPoker’s Smart HUD is available for cash games, All-In or Fold, and during Tournaments, each tailored to the specific game. For cash games, your overall record against your rival will be displayed, along with your three biggest hands against them

For All-In or Fold, you will see total jackpot winnings for your opponent, as well as their* latest jackpot hands* and their hand distribution.

For Tournaments, expect to see your opponent’s total tournament winnings, as well as their current leaderboard rankings and results from the last five tournaments they played.

The modern online player hungers for information about their opponents. The Smart HUD provides an in-game way to keep abreast of the villain’s tendencies so you don’t have to bet in the dark.

Cashouts

Withdrawing funds from GGPoker is a very quick, easy, and secure process. GGPoker employs a “closed-loop” deposit and withdrawal strategy whereby players can generally only withdraw using the same method through which they deposited.

GGPoker takes player safety and security very seriously, All withdrawals go through an internal audit process to prevent fraud, identity theft, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism. Furthermore, all players’ funds are kept in segregated accounts

Deposit and withdrawal options vary depending on which region you are playing from, but the options generally include e-wallets, debit/credit cards, Neteller, ecoPayz, Skrill, and Bitcoin. Withdrawals may take up to 72 hours to process but usually are completed within 24 hours of the request. GGPoker adds a $1 processing fee to withdrawals in addition to any fees charged by the organization your withdrawal is headed to.

Generally, players can withdraw up to $20,000 per calendar month, but increasing this amount for big wins is possible. Just contact support to increase the limit or set up a withdrawal plan when you hit the big score!

GGPoker Worldwide

GGPoker is one of the most-licensed poker sites out there. Over the years, the operator has put in the time and effort to enter numerous regulated markets all over the world, continuing to grow and establish itself as one of the clear global industry leaders. At the time of writing this GGPoker review, the site features licenses to operate in:

• Ontario
• UK
• The Netherlands
• Belgium
• Romania
• Canada

The room also has a presence in Estonia and Lithuania through its locally-licensed OlyBet brand and in Armenia through TotoPoker. GGPoker has also obtained a license in Ukraine, but the launch is delayed, awaiting further clarity on taxation rules. The company is expected to obtain a German license as well.

For other markets in Europe that do not have local licenses, GGPoker is regulated by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission and the site also has a Curaçao license.

The operator {n:212118-ggpoker-moves-international-players-over-isle-man-gaming acquired its Isle of Man license in February 2021}, further bolstering its position in European markets. The IOM regulatory approval was important for the platform, confirming it as a safe and fair gambling platform.

From what we have seen over the last few years, we expect this operator to continue growing and expanding into new markets. Poker Industry PRO predicted that 2022 could be the year the operator establishes a presence in Bulgaria, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic. It also predicted GGPoker would launch in the newly regulated Ontario online poker market, which launched in April 2022 — a prophecy that proved to be accurate.

GGPoker UK

In the UK, GGPoker is licensed and regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) under the license issued to NSUS Limited with account number 47768. This makes GGPoker a perfectly safe and completely legal option for UK players.

Sign up to GGPoker UK »

GGPoker Netherlands

GGPoker received the local poker license in the Netherlands in September of 2021, becoming one of ten poker sites to be awarded the license by Kansspelautoriteit, the country’s gaming control board.

Sign up to GGPoker Netherlands»

GGPoker Canada

In Canada, GGPoker operates under its international licenses from the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission. Until recently, poker operators had no requirement to acquire a local license anywhere in Canada. This has changed, however, as Ontario became the first Canadian province to regulate online poker, requiring the sites to apply for a license.

GGPoker continues to serve all Canadian players at this point in time. However, the operator has set up an Ontario-specific room, fully licensed and regulated by the provincial authorities.

GGPoker Ontario

GGPoker has launched a licensed site in Ontario, allowing Ontario players to continue using the platform, albeit in a segregated market (at least for now). For this move, the company has partnered up with another poker giant, WSOP.

GGPoker Ontario is fully licensed by the iGaming Onatrio and offers a completely legal platform for all players from the province. Ontarians get to enjoy all the different features of the modern platform and mobile app, but they are segregated from the rest of the market for the time being.

Sign up to GGPoker Canada»

FAQ

Is GGPoker a legal and regulated online poker site?

Yes! GGPoker is legally authorized to offer online poker and games of chance under its Master License of Gaming Services Provider, N.V. License No.: 365/JAZ — Sub-Licence No: GLH-OCCHKTW0706162019, which is issued by the Government of Curaçao. GGPoker also has licenses for various global player groups through the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission and the UK Gambling Commission.

GGPoker is also legally allowed to process secure financial transactions under its parent company NSUS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, company number: HE396707, registered address: Lykourgou, 38 Athienou, 7600, Larnaca, Cyprus.

To play on GGPoker, players must be at least 18 years old, however, if local laws for online gaming require players in that jurisdiction to be older to participate, the local laws take precedence.

At its own discretion, GGPoker may request proof of age and identity.

Where is it illegal to play GGPoker?

People from jurisdictions where online poker and other forms of online gaming are prohibited or otherwise illegal are not allowed to download the GGPoker mobile app or desktop software, open an account, or play on GGPoker. Doing so violates the terms of the User Agreement. Using a VPN to try to circumvent the platform’s geolocation services is also prohibited.

What kind of a Welcome Bonus does GGPoker offer?

New players get to choose from two GGPoker Welcome Bonus offers. One option is a fairly standard deposit match bonus, similar to what is offered by other rooms, while the other one is a freeplay option geared more towards new or casual players with smaller bankrolls or who are looking to spend less upfront:

• GGPoker Welcome Bonus Option 1: Deposit $10 or more and get a 100% deposit match boost, up to $600
• GGPoker Welcome Bonus Option 2: Deposit at least $20 and receive up to $100 worth of rewards

The deposit bonus is released in $5 increments for every $20 in rake paid. The other option starts off new players with over $52.50 worth of All-In or Fold tickets with options to win up to $47.50 more in cash playing on All-In or Fold tables. Additionally, all new players can opt into the Honeymoon Bonus promo after signing up, so be sure to look for that.

You can find all the details about the different welcome bonus options in the 'Bonus’ Section of our GGPoker Review.

What promotions are available at GGPoker?

You will find a rich variety of valuable GGPoker promos on offer across the board. New and existing players can use these to boost their bankrolls and get their hands on some extra cash.

• Daily Freebies, including Flip & Go and Spin & Gold tickets
• The Honeymoon Promo for new players featuring up to $300 worth of rewards
• Spin & Gold Challenge requiring players to play for a certain amount of time to receive cash prizes up to $500
• Play for WSOP gold bracelets, and WSOPC rings — the only site outside the US to offer this!
• A variety of high-hand jackpots across Hold’em, PLO, and Short Deck tables
• Rewarding and competitive Daily Leaderboards for cash games, tournaments, Spin & Gold tournaments, and more

What is GGPoker’s rewards program like?

GGPoker’s loyalty rewards program is called Fish Buffet — it is a multi-tiered rewards system, allowing players to earn up to 60% in rakeback. The higher you get in the program, the better rewards you can expect.

Check out the 'Rewards Section’ of our GGPoker Review for all the details about the Fish Buffet program and how it all works.

Is GGPoker available in my region?

GGPoker accepts players from most parts of the world except for the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Cuba, Curacao, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, United States of America, Yemen.

Players in countries with segregated player pools, such as France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, are also prohibited from opening an account on GGPoker. However, players in Ontario, Canada can play on the segregated and regulated GGPoker Ontario platform, which launched in April 2022, in partnership with WSOP.

What states can play GGPoker?

There are currently five states where you can legally play real money poker online — Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Connecticut has also recently approved legislation allowing for regulated online poker, but no operators have gone live there as of yet. Unfortunately, while you can play online poker in these states, you cannot play GGPoker as GG is not yet legal in the United States. If you want to play online poker for real money and are in one of the states in which it is legal, you will have to go with an alternative operator for the time being.

NSUS Group — GGPoker’s parent company — is approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) for an Interactive Gaming Manufacturer license in the state of Pennsylvania. This means a licensed operator can use its software to offer online poker and casino games in the state of Pennsylvania.

There are hopes that GGPoker PA will become a reality in the near future, as it currently has an application pending with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to offer online poker in the state, but, currently, there is no timeline on when this will come to fruition. We certainly hope to hear updates in the near future.

GGPoker is a relative newcomer to the online poker space, having first launched in 2017 in the Asian and then dot-com markets. As such, it is not surprising that GGPoker is still waiting for approval to offer online poker in the US markets, as US online gambling markets are notoriously difficult to navigate, with lots of jumping-through-hoops required. In most states, online gaming operators must partner with a local brick-and-mortar casino in order to obtain a license.

For the company to launch its own brand in PA, it would need an Interactive Gaming Operator’s license and would have to form a partnership with a local land-based casino or one of the approved Qualified Gaming Entities. Alternatively, it could license its software to another operator.

Read our GGPoker Pennsylvania Guide & FAQ for more details.

Is GGPoker legal in the US?

No. Poker players in the United States cannot sign up at GGPoker at the present time. Those in the US that are hoping to get in on the GGPoker action are, unfortunately, out of luck for the time being, as neither the GGPoker site nor its associated skins are legal to play from the US.

US online poker players are surely eager to get a chance to play on the GGPoker site and see what all the hype is about, so approval can’t come soon enough.

GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu, who lives in the USA, is a high-profile advocate of the site and drums up lots of interest for GGPoker on his social media accounts — a huge following of which will be made up of fellow Americans keen to check out the site. When approval comes, it is sure to be met with a surge of interest from US players.

What records were set by GGPoker during the 2020 WSOP?

• The largest prize pool for an online poker tournament: 2020 WSOP Main Event — $27.5 million
• The biggest individual prize ever awarded in online poker tournament history: 2020 WSOP Main Event — $3.9 million
• The most entries for a poker tournament in the history of the WSOP: 2020 BIG 50 — 44,576
• The most entries for a $5k buy-in online poker tournament: 2020 WSOP Main Event — 5802
• The most millionaires made in a single poker tournament series: 2020 WSOP on GGPoker — 11
• The most millionaires made in a single poker tournament: Tie between 2020 WSOP and 2018 and 2019 partypoker MILLIONS Online — 4
• The most nationalities to participate in a single WSOP series: 2020 WSOP — 166
• The most seven-figure prize pools in an online tournament series: 2020 WSOP — 45
• The biggest average prize pool in an online poker tournament series: 2020 WSOP — $2.7 million per tournament

How do I download GGPoker?

You can download the GGPoker app or desktop platform via this link. Click through and select the version you need, and the download should start automatically.

Can I play on GGPoker from a Mac computer or iOS mobile device?

Yes, you can absolutely play GGPoker from a Mac computer. GGPoker software is also compatible with PC computers and Android devices.

You can download the GGPoker software here. Here’s how to download the client and get set up:

• Follow this link to the GGPoker registration page.
• Click on “Sign Up,” and a new window will pop up.
• You will be prompted to set a Username and password along with adding your personal information. Then click “Create Account.”
• Download the appropriate software or app for your device
• Click the .exe file to install. if on a PC. On a Mac, drag the GGPoker icon to the “Application” folder on your computer
• Then, you will be prompted to set your location and choose an avatar and nickname.
• You are now done and ready to play.

Can I use HUDs or other third-party poker tools at GGPoker?

The use of HUDs or third-party tools, including seating scripts, is strictly prohibited as long as the GGPoker client is running. GGPoker has its own in-house HUD as well as a poker tracking tool called PokerCraft.

Can I use Hold’em Manager while playing on GGPoker?

You cannot use the Hold’em Manager software while playing on GGPoker. All third-party tools are strictly prohibited, but the online poker operator offers its own tracking and replay tool called PokerCraft.

PokerCraft is available to all players on GGPoker and allows them to filter and analyze every hand they have played on the site. By analyzing the hands that you have played, you can learn to improve your play, and you can even share some fun (or not-so-fun) moments with friends on social media directly from the tool.

What payment methods are available at GGPoker?

GGPoker supports a wide variety of deposit and withdrawal methods, including:

• Visa/MasterCard
• Skrill
• Neteller
• ecoPayz
• MuchBetter
• Bitcoin

The availability of these payment methods depends on the player’s location. GGPoker also generally uses a 'closed-loop’ payment process, meaning that users will need to use the same method to withdraw their winnings as they initially used to deposit funds.

What makes GGPoker different from other online poker sites?

One of the main attractions is certainly the opportunity to win WSOP rings and bracelets. GGPoker is the only site outside the US that offers players a chance to do so. If you are looking to win some of that prized poker bling, then GG is definitely the place to be.

GGPoker is so much more than just shiny gold jewelry, though. The operator also boasts many unique and innovative features that you won’t find anywhere else in the industry. It touts its own poker analysis and financial tool, PokerCraft, available to all players. The network also has its own built-in HUD with basic statistics on opponents, such as lifetime tournament winnings and win/loss personal record in cash games, preflop playing style, and how frequently a player pushes all-in by table position at AoF tables, etc.

Another cool feature that the network supports is the Tournament Staking platform, where players can sell their tournament action to other players or stake others.

GGPoker also features All-In Insurance, which protects players from a bad beat by insuring their hands.

Additionally, the network also supports

• Straddle
• Run it Thrice
• Rabbit Hunt
• Bubble Protection
• Card Squeezing
• Smart Betting
• And many other industry-first features you will not see elsewhere

What is the Player Value Index (PVI)?

The Player Value Index is a system used by GGPoker to determine how the rake contribution by every individual player is calculated. Players are set in certain value tiers based on their overall record — the amount of play, deposits, withdrawals, etc.

With this system, casual players get more rewards as their rake contribution is calculated at a higher value. Conversely, winning players receive fewer Fish Buffet points for the same amount of rake paid.

The PVI system is a bit controversial, especially since no one knows the exact details of how everything works. However, you need to be aware of it when playing at GGPoker as it can ultimately influence your rakeback.

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