ClubWPT seems to be the first social casino brand to attempt to find a way around the wording of fresh anti-sweepstakes legislation in 2025.
Last week, the ClubWPT Gold online poker site, a sister site to ClubWPT, replaced its standard Gold Coins/Sweeps Coins dual-currency format with a new concept. Now players buy credits for a ‘hand analysis’ software instead of Gold Coins, while Sweeps Coins remain, but their name has been changed to ‘Chips’.
The software – presumably part of the Upswing Poker toolkit acquired by WPT earlier this year – analyzes a player’s hand and provides feedback during games. It seems the site wants to replace buying credits with the purchase of a bonafide product, rather than a valueless Gold Coin, while Chips are redeemable for real cash prizes.
Will the New ClubWPT Gold ‘Sweepstakes’ Format Catch On?
Text on the site suggests ClubWPT Gold is now a “cutting-edge poker training and playing site,” rather than simply a sweepstakes poker platform.
It’s certainly an interesting new angle to take, but it’s unclear whether the new format will be enough to avoid anti-sweepstakes legislation.
Montana, Connecticut, and New Jersey have all seen bills signed into law this year, while proposals in New York and California await a final sign-off from Governors there. And it’s those last two states with their sizable potential audiences that have started to turn the screw on the sweepstakes format.
ClubWPT CEO Adam Pliska has been one of the most vocal opponents of anti-sweeps bills this year, flying around the country to appear in-person at various committee discussions.
Speaking at the New Jersey legislature, Pliska urged lawmakers to reverse course and consider the revenue the state could raise from regulating sweepstakes sites. Pliska offered:
“We’ve operated a sweepstakes product for over 15 years, and so I just want to make myself available to the committee, if anybody would like to continue to explore this idea that there is more revenue to be found.”
Ultimately, the NJ bill passed, outlawing ClubWPT in its current format, but it seems Pliska is unwilling to admit defeat just yet. Whether his new workaround will fly will likely come down to regulators and their interpretation of the new laws.
For example, the California bill’s wording outlaws any site that utilizes “a dual-currency system of payment that allows a person to play or participate in a simulated gambling program for direct or indirect consideration, including consideration associated with a related product, service, or activity”.
It’s likely the hand analysis tool could be classed as a ‘product’ so it’s unclear whether the workaround would be successful, at least in California. As mentioned above, the bill still needs to be signed, and wouldn’t come into effect until January 1 next year, so players can still enjoy online poker for the time being anyway.
Mixed Player Reactions to ClubWPT Gold’s New Hand Analysis Model
Reaction online has been mixed; some players have supported the change-up, with others voicing discontent.
Commenting on the r/poker Subreddit, sealpox said:
“This is actually pretty nice, I’ll be using the hand analysis tools a lot from now on”
Acekingoffsuit said:
“I do not see this being successful for long. It might avoid the wreath [sic] of California’s law as it’s written now, but I don’t see how lawmakers will view this as anything but another attempt to skirt the intent of the law.”
Some players were disappointed that their Gold Coins had been suddenly replaced. Tightaustinite said:
“App just updated and now I have, instead of like 130 million gold coins, which were sometimes useful to play mindless tourneys or cash, I have 10 Hand Analysis (HA) coins.”
Most states still don’t permit online poker in the US, and while this is a valiant attempt from ClubWPT to maintain access to an alternative model in those states, it still faces the risk of being judged by regulators as gambling in disguise.
It will be interesting to see how this story develops. At the very least, ClubWPT has attempted to innovate rather than simply withdrawing from challenging markets like Global Poker and other sweepstakes casinos have done.
Author: Joseph Allen
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