In less than 3 years, WPT Global has achieved a massive growth, now ranking No.2 in the world for cash game traffic. Continuing the momentum, the brand is setting its sights on even bigger milestones to crush it in 2025. 

WPT Global’s Rapid Rise In Online Poker Market 

One of the key secrets behind WPT Global’s quick success is being a licensed brand of the prestigious World Poker Tour. Besides, the brand has roped in high-profile ambassadors, including Phil Ivey. A true icon and ambassador of the game, Ivey is an 11-time bracelet winner with over $48 million in live earnings and a huge fan following across the world. His presence as an ambassador has significantly boosted the brand’s appeal. 

As a title sponsor of the Triton Poker Series, WPT Global has been providing its players with exclusive opportunities to qualify for the high-stakes Triton poker events. The WPT Global qualifiers for the Triton Poker and WPT events across the globe have further cemented the platform’s reputation as a top-notch destination for poker enthusiasts.

Beyond partnerships with major brands and pros, WPT Global has built a huge players’ base by offering high-value tournaments, high-stakes cash games, and exclusive perks. Players get the lowest rake, earn massive cash prizes, and win all-expense-paid trips to WPT and other live events.

WPT Global offers 24/7 tournament action.  From deepstacks to turbos, full ring, 6-max, 4-max, bounties, NLHE and PLO events, the platform offers something for everyone. Notably, there are daily freerolls and low-cost satellites leading to major live events, including the WPT World Championship. Besides, there are weekly Slam events with buy-ins ranging from $11 to $330. That is not all, there is a fast-paced $100k guaranteed $110 Crazy Sunday PKO every week starting at prime time in Asia.

WPT Global leverages cutting-edge AI technology to ensure game integrity by detecting and eliminating bots and real-time assistance (RTA) software. The platform promises a fun, fair and secure play by restricting the number of pro players per cash table to just two. The idea is to protect recreational players and foster a balanced environment to play and win big online. 

According to PokerScout, WPT Global is currently ranked No. 2 in the world for cash game traffic, boasting a seven-day player average of 2,700, which surges to over 4,000 during the peak hours. The platform currently has over 38,000 daily active users and continues to grow its player base, thus skyrocketing itself to new heights in the global online poker landscape. 

Bigger Things Planned To Crush It In 2025

Following its massive growth in 2024, WPT Global has planned even bigger things for 2025. Currently hosting Hyper Dash Tournaments, Get in the Zone WPT Daily Asia, and the Golden Bounty Championship, the brand has lined up several exciting promotions for the coming months. Its  upcoming Streamers Poker Tour kicking off on April 1 provides streamers with exciting opportunities to engage their audience, compete to get to the top of the leaderboard and win exciting rewards. The top three streamers on the leaderboard will get tickets to the upcoming WPT Taiwan event.

Additionally, new tournaments, promotions, and some amazing app updates are lined up to uplift your online experience. Currently available in over 130 countries, including India, WPT Global is looking forward to expanding its reach in other countries across the globe. With even bigger milestones set for the future, WPT Global is on track to become no. 1 in the online poker market. 

If you have not joined WPT Global yet, now is the perfect time! Sign up today and claim a Welcome Bonus up to $3,000 and get in the game. 

Keep following PokerProNews for more updates regarding the WPT Global and other online poker platforms.

The post WPT Global Takes The Online Poker World By Storm – Here Is How! first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Even though the Public Gambling Act, 1867 prohibits all games of chance, the Section 12 of this act exempts skills games from its purview. Poker being a skill game, the Supreme Court and various High Courts have given their verdicts in favour of poker. Here is a quick breakdown of the most notable court rulings that shaped poker’s legality in India.

Landmark Supreme Court Rulings

1968 – Supreme Court: State of Andhra Pradesh vs. K. Satyanarayana

Verdict: In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court ruled that rummy and poker are games of skill, exempting them from gambling. While this case was not directly related to poker, it served as a precedent for games requiring skill, thus paving the way for poker’s legal recognition.

1996 – Supreme Court: Three-Judge Bench Ruling

Verdict: In the year 1996, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its 1967 judgment, ruling that games where skill predominates over chance, they fall under the ‘games of skill’. This decision reinforced the argument that poker, being a skill game, should not be considered as ‘gambling’.

Notable High Court Rulings

2013 – Karnataka High Court: Indian Poker Association vs. State of Karnataka

Verdict: The Karnataka High Court gave its verdict in favor of the Indian Poker Association, ruling that poker is a game of skill. The court also stated that the police had no authority to interfere in poker games conducted in clubs, clarifying that no specific license or permission was required in Karnataka to run a poker game as it is played as a skill game.

The Karnataka High Court Ruling -February 2022

The Karnataka High Court struck down key provisions of the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021, seeking to ban both online gambling and skill-based gaming by removing distinction between skill games and games of chance. However, the Karnataka High Court turned down key provisions of the amendment bill, terming it unconstitutional and leaving no specific legislation governing the legality of skill-based gaming.’

 2013 – Calcutta High Court: Kizhakke Naduvath Suresh v. State of West Bengal

Verdict: The Calcutta High Court noted that poker is not gambling under the West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competitions Act, 1957, allowing the game to be played legally in the state. In the 2013 case, Kizhakke Naduvath Suresh v. State of West Bengal, the court gave a similar ruling that poker is a game of skill, not chance, leaving no room for state authorities to interfere in poker games conducted in the state.

 2019 – Calcutta High Court: Indian Poker Association & Anr. vs. State of West Bengal

Verdict: The Calcutta High Court passed a landmark judgment ruling that the police cannot interfere in the Indian Poker Association’s operations, as they legally rented a hotel room for its members to play poker.

2021- Madras High Court: Junglee Games India Pvt. Ltd. vs. State of Tamil Nadu

Verdict: In 2021, the Madras High Court passed a landmark judgment, striking down the February 2021 amendment to the Tamil Nadu Gaming Act seeking to ban all forms of online gaming. The court struck down Tamil Nadu government’s blanket ban on online poker and rummy, ruling that these are skill games and are therefore legal to be played.

2022 – Karnataka High Court: All India Gaming Federation vs. State of Karnataka

Verdict: On February 14 in 2022, the Karnataka High Court held certain provisions of the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act 2021 (the “Amendment Act”) to be un-constitutional. The court ruled against the ban on online skill-based games, including poker and rummy and stated that such a ban was unconstitutional and in violation of business rights.

2023 – Madras High Court: All India Gaming Federation vs. State of Tamil Nadu

Verdict: The court passed judgment that online poker and rummy are skill-based games and therefore cannot be banned under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022. This put an end to long-tussle between the Tamil Nadu government and online gaming operators regarding prohibition of all forms of online games, including poker and rummy in the state.

2024 – Allahabad High Court: DM Gaming Pvt. Ltd. vs. State of Uttar Pradesh

Verdict: The Allahabad HC  directed the DCP of Agra to reexamine whether poker and rummy are games of skill before denying permission to DM Gaming Pvt. Ltd for a gaming unit in Agra. The court held that denial based solely on an officer’s perception is not a valid ground. This landmark ruling further paved the way for  the legality of poker in U.P.

The above rulings by the Supreme Courts and various supreme courts in the country are testament to growing recognition of poker as a skill game involving significant skill, strategy, and mental sharpness. The validation by the courts is not only paving the way for poker’s legality but also its legitimacy as a sport in the country. While these served as guiding lights, there are still several regulatory hurdles and challenges to be overcome to ensure the game’s pan-India acceptance and legality.

Keep following PokerProNews for more such updates on poker’s legality.

The post Landmark Court Rulings That Shaped Poker’s Legality in India first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

In addition to the top prize, Joshua McSwiney earned a $10,400 seat into the 2025 WPT World Championship to be held in Las Vegas. With the latest win, McSwiney’s total live earnings now stand over $835k.

2025 WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship Quick Recap

The AUD 2,000 WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship ran from 21-26 March and drew an impressive 719 entries across four starting flights. The strong turnout resulted in a massive prize pool of over $1.2 million, which was finally shared by the top 140 finishers, with final two players bagging six-figure prizes. The lion’s share eventually belonged to the eventual winner Joshua McSwiney, who took home a life-changing $177,680 after beating Sydney’s Patrick Yazbeck in a thrilling heads-up battle.

The final table of the  2025 WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship Event was reached on Day 2 (Tuesday), following the elimination of Anthony Russo in  tenth place for AUD 32,001/$20,068). The remaining nine players then returned for the third and final day on Wednesday to battle it out for the coveted title. Joshua McSwiney came into the final day seventh in chips, far behind Jiaxu Chen who held the massive chip lead (99 BB stack).

The action on the final table was quick with the field narrowing down to seven in just 9 hands. Wiremu Renata was the first player to exit, falling in ninth place. Chen then busted Matt Woodhall and Gary Lin in eighth and seventh places, respectively. Daniel Klinger (6th) then shoved AK against the pocket kings of Patrick Yazbeck on the king-high flop and could not improve on the next streets to exit in sixth place for $42,500.

McSwiney scored his first elimination holding pocket kings against the K-10 of Michael Egan, who fell in fifth place for $55,744). Joseph Antar hit the rail when his pocket eights were cracked by the pocket sevens of Chen, leading to his exit in fourth place $73,874. Finally, it came down to heads-up after the elimination of the start of final table chip leader Jiaxu Chen, who pitted his A10 against the pocket queens of Patrick Yazbeck to exit in third place for $98,910 in prize money.

Heads-Up

The heads-up saw Patrick Yazbeck holding a 2:1 advantage over Joshua McSwiney. The two battled it out for a long time before finally agreeing to a heads-up deal. McSwiney had moved far ahead by the time the final hand arose. In his last hand, McSwiney limped with Qd Jd and then called a shove from Yazbeck, who had Ks 5h. The board brought Ah 2s 2d 3d 7d, giving McSwiney a backdoor flush to win the coveted title.

2025 WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship Final Table Results

Keep following PokerProNews for the latest updates and results from live poker events across the world.

The post WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship Crowns a New Champion – Joshua McSwiney Takes the Title first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

NPS 2025 in Numbers:

With an overwhelming 6,08,946 entries, ₹108 Crores+ in prize money, and 573 medals awarded, this year’s NPS shattered records. Here is a quick look at the key highlights and numbers from the latest edition:

NPS Main Event -₹10 Crore GTD: Bhavye Mittal’s Career-Defining Victory

The crown jewel of NPS 2025, the 10 Crore GTD NPS#191 Main Event, which drew 7,594 entrants across nine starting flights for a shot at glory. Out of the massive field, 702 contenders made it to Day 2 on Monday at 7:30 PM. Following close to 9-hour of action, Bhavye ‘noobnoob’ Mittal etched his name in poker history as the fifth-ever NPS Main Event champion, securing the prestigious NPS Gold Medal and a life-changing  payout of ₹94.26 Lakhs in top prize—the  largest score of his career.

Dhruvin Kothari finished runner-up, making his debut NPS appearance count by securing ₹82.11 Lakhs and silver medal. Pratik Manjrekar took the final spot on the podium, earning ₹60.64 Lakh and a bronze medal.

Main Event (NPS#191) – ₹10 Crore GTD Final Table Payouts

Vikram Mishra Takes Down Golden Rush (NPS#190) – ₹1 Crore GTD

One of the most exciting events to unfold on the final day of the series, the Golden Rush, lived up to its name, drawing  8,635 entries via nine flights. Over 996 survivors returned for the final day of the Golden Rush. Following over 8.5 hours of intense action, Vikram Mishra claimed the victory, earning the coveted gold medal and an impressive ₹6.02 Lakhs after a four-way deal.

Golden Rush (NPS#190) – ₹1 Crore GTD Final Table Payouts

Zarvan Tumboli’s NPS Domination: 6 Medals & Unstoppable Form

With over 12 live victories and $822,874 in live earnings, PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli is one of the most decorated poker players in India. He had an incredible run at the recently-concluded NPS 2025, finishing it with six medals, including a spectacular Gold in the 50L GTD NPS#6 Marathon (₹5.68 Lakhs). His consistency and deep finishes across multiple formats reaffirmed his status as one of India’s finest poker talents. His final haul included:

NPS 2025 Leaderboard: Bhanu Prakash KC Tops the Charts

Bhanu Prakash KC,  a software engineer from Karnataka, topped both the India Leaderboard and the Series Leaderboard in the 2025 edition. He showcased unmatched consistency, resilience, and strategic mastery, securing an impressive 5 medals, including 3 Gold and 2 Silver medals. His incredible performance through the series earned him 38,714 points from 158 cashes and a grand ₹30 Lakh prize, solidifying his reputation as a leaderboard crusher.

Rising Star Aman Parakh clinched second spot on the NPS Series Leaderboard. With a fourth-place finish in the Main Event and 104th place in the Golden Rush on the final day, he added 2,543 points, bringing his total to 36,756 points from 158 cashes. This feat earned him a ₹20 Lakhs prize and an extra 10 Lakhs from the final day performance. The final spot on the podium went to Vinay Rajpal, who showcased remarkable consistency and strategic mastery throughout the series. He racked in 166 cashes, accumulating 36,545 points to earn him ₹15 Lakhs.

Final Showdown – National Poker Champion to be Crowned in Goa

The National Poker Series introduced the National Poker Champion (NPC) Showdown this time. This exciting live event to be held in Goa will see the top 12 players from the NPS India Leaderboard compete for the ultimate honor: India’s National Poker Champion title. With a ₹1 Crore GTD prize pool, this grand event promises to be the most prestigious tournament in India, featuring intense battles amongst top 12 players, who include:

NPS 2025 – A New Era for India’s Online Poker

With a record-breaking prize pool, intense competition, and the debut of the National Poker Champion Showdown, NPS 2025 was truly historic, reaffirming its status as India’s most prestigious online poker event.

As poker continues to grow in India, the roaring success of NPS 2025 sets the stage for an even bigger and more thrilling extravaganza in 2026. Meanwhile, the poker community eagerly awaits the live showdown in Goa, where India’s best will battle for the National Poker Champion title!

Keep following PokerProNews for more such thrilling highlights from Indian poker.

Sources: PokerBaazi & PokerGuru

The post NPS 2025: Bhavye Mittal’s Main Event Victory & Zarvan Tumboli’s Multi-Medal Magic first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Kiwanont Sukhum Crowned as the Manila Megastack 22 Champion 

Kiwanont Sukhum has been a regular at the Asian poker circuit for the past three years. In the last three years, Sukhum has secured three Asian Poker Tour trophies and now has added another major poker title to his career, winning the 2025 Manila Megastack 22 Main Event for a career-best PHP 3,410,000 ($59,470) top prize and a PokerStars trophy. His latest victory has now brought his accumulated tournament earnings past $211k.

The PHP 45k (~$775) buy-in Main Event saw a turnout of 652 entries, crushing the PHP 20 Million (~$345,280) guarantee for a total prize pool of PHP 25,613,820 (~$446,695). Of the 652 entries, only the top 99 players made it into the money. Team India’s Akshaya Kothari finished in 49th place, pocketing $1,640.

Cheolmin Byeon rounded out the podium, finishing 3rd for a $55,370 paycheck. Philippines player William Ysmael finished as the runner-up, collecting $56,940. 

Manila Megastack 22 Final Table Payouts 

Minsoo Hwang Ships Three Titles 

South Korea’s amateur Minsoo Hwang shipped back-to-back three PokerStars trophies at the 2025 Manila Megastack 22. Hwang won Event #28, Event #58, and Event #72, bringing his total series winnings past $10k. On the final day of the Manila Megastack 22, Hwang took down the Event #72: Super Stack Turbo for an impressive $4,088 top prize.

The Event #72: Super Stack Turbo saw 105 entries, generating a total prize pool of $15,635. The 1-day event saw 15 players make it into the money. Japan’s Ko Okubo collected $1,885 for finishing 3rd, while Yohan Paredes picked up $2,635 for the runner-up finish.

Super Stack Turbo Final Table Payouts 

2025 Manila Megastack 22 Winners List

Source – SoMuchPoker

Keep following PokerProNews for the latest updates and results from live poker events!

The post Manila Megastack 22: Kiwanont Sukhum’s Main Event Win & Minsoo Hwang’s Triple Victory first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Suyash Sanghavi, Debayan Das and Amit Kumar Jha Shine Score Big

The former The MoneyMaker champion Suyash ‘tyso2506’ Sanghavi had a breakthrough moment on Monday when he crushed the NPS#147 Mini Main Event (₹5 Crores GTD). After qualifying through Qualifier 4, Sanghavi competed against a massive 7,424 entry-field and then outlasted 835 entrants who made it to the event’s Grand Finale, taking home a career-best ₹34.91 Lakhs (three-way deal) and his first-ever NSP Gold medal.

The NPS Mini Main Event saw a thrilling all Maharashtra heads-up duel between Sanghavi and Debayan ‘Dbz19’ Das, another former The MoneyMaker champion, who finished runner-up but banked a bigger ₹35.49 Lakhs coming as part of three-way deal. Joining Sanghavi and Das on the  podium was Amit ‘philivey007’ Kumar Jha, who grabbed his first Bronze Medal and the lion’s share of ₹35.92 Lakhs from the 3-way deal.

NPS#147 Mini Main Event Final Table Results

Mohsin Shaikh – The Super High Roller King

Thursday belonged to long-time poker pro Mohsin Shaikh, who shipped the NPS#168 Super High Roller (₹1.20 Crores GTD) in spectacular fashion. Entering through a modest ₹2,300 satellite, Shaikh dominated the 185-entry field to win his first NPS Gold and a massive ₹22.87 Lakhs, more than double of his previous best score. With six more cashes, including four cashes from NPS events, his total winnings for the day reached a whopping ₹23.34 Lakhs, thus making him the top-ranked player on the Goa Leaderboard. Debuting in the #SuperHighRoller, he finished runner-up for a career-best ₹17.75 Lakhs.

NPS#168 Super HighRoller Final Table Results

Saahib Bawa Achieves A Historic Hat-Trick

Wednesday witnessed a historic performance from Saahib Bawa, who pulled off a record-breaking hat-trick. He picked up two NPS Golds for his victory the NPS#161 (6-Max) Big SPRINT (₹7.43 Lakhs) and NPS#160 Knockout (₹4.86 Lakhs) and claimed debut win in Natural8India’s PLO Bounty Main Event 150 (₹5.20 Lakhs). With four deep runs from during the day, his total winnings crossed ₹17.52 Lakhs, making the day’s top earner.

Other Notable Winners/Scorers of the Week  

Tuesday saw PokerBaazi regular Prashanth Chandrasekhar end a long title drought by winning the NPS#154 Big Knockout (PKO) for ₹15.35 Lakh, while Sunday’s action was highlighted by Hrishikesh Kulkarni, who claimed his first-ever NPS medal (Gold), winning NPS#188 Sunday Marathon for ₹11.47 Lakhs.

Keep following PokerProNews for the latest big stories from the online poker felts.

Sources: PokerBaazi and PokerGuru

The post A Week of Records in Online Poker: Saahib Bawa’s Hat-Trick & NPS Mini Main Event Thrillers first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

With just nine players remaining and blinds running 25,000-50,000 and 50,000 ante, the tension was high with every pot being crucial. The action had reached the turn and there were over 500k already in the pot.

With the turn board reading 10 9 8 K, David Ha (Cutoff) bet 300k with 9 9, holding a set of nines. Eric Afriat (Button), holding Q J  correctly raised it upto 800,000 with a straight.

Recognizing the current strength of his hand and good pot odds, Ha moved all-in for 825,000. Afriat called, holding the best hand on the turn board.

Now Ha needed the board to pair to survive against Afriat’s king-high straight. The lucky river brought the K, pairing the board and giving Ha a full house. David Ha secured a big double-up to 2,200,000 (44 BBs), while Eric Afriat unfortunately dropped to 3,000,000 (60 BBs) after the cooler.

Ha’s Turn Bet & All-In Decision

Ha correctly bet 300,000 to extract value from weaker hands. When faced with Afriat’s raise, he fell in a tough spot to make a move—fold, call, or shove. Given his stack and the possibility of getting called by two-pair or a draw, Ha shoved all-in on the turn board, running his set into the straight of Afriat.

Afriat’s Raise & Call

With the nut straight, Afriat’s raise was a standard one to extract maximum value from hands like a lower straight, a set or two pairs. After his raise and a call, Afriat had no real decision left but a mandatory call over Ha’s shove on the turn.

River Luck

While Afriat made the right move, the poker gods were with Ha, who got the lucky river to crash Afriat’s straight and win a crucial double to survive. This was truly a bad cooler at the recent 2025 World Poker Tour (WPT) Rolling Thunder Main Event. Afriat dominated Ha on the turn but finally became the victim of variance on the river. 

Ha won a crucial double-up, which helped him to ladder up and finish 5th for $69,000 – a strong finish after that pivotal moment. Despite being hit by a brutal cooler, Afriat ultimately came close to the title but fell short in 3rd, earning $122,000 and a $10,400 seat into the WPT World Championship.

Keep following PokerProNews for more such thrilling hands from live poker. 

 Hand Credit: World Poker Tour

The post A Brutal Cooler: David Ha’s Lucky River Cracks Afriat’s Straight at WPT Rolling Thunder first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Indian States Allowing Online Poker

The legality of online poker in India varies from state to state with some allowing it, while others restricting or competently banning it.

Sikkim: Sikkim allows both online and live poker. It has set up a licensing regime for online games, including poker, under the Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Act, 2008, and the Sikkim Online Gaming Rules, 2009. Besides, the Sikkim Casinos (Control and Tax) Act, 2002, allows live poker as well. However, the licenses for poker operations are only valid to offer services within the state. Currently, there are several establishments offering live poker, including Deltin Denzong.

West Bengal: Like Sikkim, West Bengal also allows both online and live poker. The West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competitions Act, 1957 excludes games of skill from its purview, allowing several venues in the state to offer legal poker. The status of poker was further reinforced in 2019 when the Calcutta High Court asked police not to interfere in poker games unless there were specific allegations of illegal gambling.

Nagaland: The Nagaland Prohibition of Gambling and Regulation of Online Games of Skill Act, 2016 recognizes poker as a skill game. The state has  a licensing regime and those who possess licenses can offer online poker.

Tamil Nadu: The Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025 permit online real-money games of skill, including online poker. Operators need to obtain a certificate of registration from the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA). However, these regulations impose strict measures to ensure consumer protection age restriction (minimum age 18 or above), Aadhaar-based KYC verification, daily, weekly, and monthly spending caps and time limits.

Delhi: The legal status of online poker in Delhi remains ambiguous, though it is not banned there. The Delhi Public Gambling Act, 1955 governs gambling activities in the National Capital but it does not clearly address games of skill such as poker. While poker games run freely in Delhi, there is no clear licensing regime. So, consult a legal counsel before engaging in poker-related activities to ensure compliance.

Goa, Daman And Diu: Under the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976,  these states allow land-based casinos, but the legal status of online poker remains ambiguous, as there is no specific legislation addressing it or even no ruling banning online poker in these states. 

States Where Online Poker is Banned 

 While the legal status of online poker remains ambiguous in most of the Indian states, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have banned both online and live poker. It is completely illegal to play poker in these states.

Indian States Allowing Live Poker

Live poker in India is primarily played in casinos and its legality is confined to a few specific states like Goa, Daman, Diu, Sikkim and West Bengal. These states recognize poker as a skill game and have a clear licensing process to run poker games. Here is a closer look:

Goa: Poker is fully regulated in Goa. It is completely legal in licensed casinos such as Deltin Royale, Big Daddy, Casino Pride and others.

Sikkim: As mentioned above, the state allows both live and online poker under the Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Rules, 2009 and the Sikkim Casinos (Control and Tax) Act, 2002. People can enjoy their favourite game in casinos such as Deltin Denzong, Casino Mahjong, Big Bull Casino, etc.

Daman And Diu: Under the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976, live poker can be played in land-based casinos. The Deltin in Daman is the primary casino owned by Delta Corp. Ltd. Also, it is India’s first land-based integrated resort and casino outside Goa.

West Bengal: It is another state where people can indulge in live poker (limited to specific formats such as Texas Hold‘em) – under the ‘West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competitions Act, 1957, which excludes the games of skill such as poker from its purview. The legal status of poker was further re-affirmed by the Calcutta High Court’s 2019 ruling as the court asked police not to interfere in poker games unless there were specific allegations of illegal gambling activities.

Ambiguous Jurisdictions

In Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and many other states of India, the legality of online poker remains uncertain as there is no specific legislation addressing online poker.

With the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) accepting poker as a mind sport, the game has gained more popularity worldwide including India. The scenario in India might change further in future with several operators and bodies fighting to establish the game as a mind sport. Keep following PokerProNews for more updates on the stats of poker in India.

The post Online Poker vs. Live Poker: Legal Differences in India first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Shawn Daniels Triumphs in the 2025 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship 

Shawn Daniels etched his name into the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup, after winning the 2025 World Poker Tour (WPT) Rolling Thunder Championship. It was Daniels’ maiden WPT trophy. He collected a top prize of $229,000, and a $10,400 seat in the 2025 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.

The $3,500 buy-in WPT Rolling Thunder Championship drew an entry field of 404 players. The 404 entry field ended up creating a total prize pool of $1,292,800, paid out to the top 51 players. This flagship event of the World Poker Tour saw several WPT Regular and former champions, who tried their best to secure another WPT title. 

2023 WPT World Championship Winner, Dan Sepiol finished in 11th place ($20,800), 2013 WPT POY winner Matt Salsberg finished 7th ($40,500). Three-time WPT title holder, Eric Afriat rounded out the podium, pocketing $122,000. At the end of the tournament, the young gun Harvey Castro heads up against the bracelet winner Shawn Daniels. Daniels eventually claimed his maiden WPT title, after calling the all-in with 8h-6c against the Qh-2h of Castro. The board ran in favor of Daniels as it brought two sixes, giving the eventual champion a set. 

Castro had to settle for another six-figure score of $193,000, crossing the $1 million mark in tournament earnings. Meanwhile, Daniels crossed the $3 million mark in tournament earnings after collecting the $229,000 paycheck. 

2025 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship Final Table Payouts 

Dawid Smolka Ships the 2025 Merit Carmen Poker Series High Roller

Poland’s Dawid Smolka previously won the Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series $2,200 NLH Warm-up for a six-figure score. During the ongoing 2025 Merit Carmen Poker Series, Smolka shipped his career second Merit Poker title, winning the record-breaking High Roller event for a career-best top prize of $260,000. The rising poker star from Poland now brought his accumulated tournament earnings to $1.2 million, securing a spot among the top 10 on his country’s all-time money list. 

The $5,300 buy-in High Roller event saw a record-breaking 270 entries, crushing the $500k guaranteed for a total prize pool of $1,242,000, paid out to the top 39 finishers. Kirill Sccherbakov finished in 3rd place, banking a six-figure sum of $131,900. Johnny Lodden ended up in 2nd place to collect a cash of $182,700. The final hand saw, Lodden shoving with a straight draw with Jack-Nine and Smolka made the call with his top pair of Ace with a king kicker. His hand held up, to secure his career second Merit Poker title and a payday of $260,000.

2025 Merit Carmen Poker High Roller Series Final Table Payouts

Sources – WPT Blog & Merit Poker Facebook

Keep following PokerProNews for the latest updates and results from live poker events.

The post Shawn Daniels Claims WPT Rolling Thunder Title, Dawid Smolka Crushes Merit Poker High Roller first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Not Tracking And Keeping Records  

Some players fail to track their poker winnings, losses and expenses (tournament fees, travel and lodging costs and other expenses), assuming that their winnings from the game are not taxable. Keep in mind that poker winnings are taxable in most countries. Failing to track, document and report your winnings (whether from online and live poker) may lead you into trouble with tax authorities and impact your financial well-being.

Solution:  Keep a proper record of your winnings, losses and expenses. Ensure to track all transactions, including winnings, losses, dates, types of games played, and other necessary records. Keep proper receipts as proof with you. Use tracking software or spreadsheets to  maintain your records properly.

Overlooking Deductible Expenses

Another big mistake some poker players make is ignoring or overlooking legitimate tax deductible expenses such as tournament fees, travel and stay costs, coaching fees, subscriptions to poker software and magazines, office you use exclusively for poker, internet costs, expenses for hiring and paying a tax professional and bookkeeper, and other deductible expenses related to poker. Many poker players either do not claim or do it improperly, failing to save from their potential taxable income.

Solution: Make sure to track and document all deductible expenses. Consult a tax professional to understand what is deductible and what is not.

Misreporting, Misclassifying or Mixing Personal And Poker Finances

One more common mistake is failing to  report all poker winnings or not classifying income properly may also lead you into troubles with tax authorities. Similarly, not separating personal and poker finances or misclassifying your  income as casual gambling earnings when you play professionally can make tax filing complicated and lead to errors. Also not keeping tournaments and cash game winnings separately may also lead to some troubles as these incomes may be taxed separately.

Solution: Understand the tax implications related to your poker activities and report all your winnings and losses accurately. Classify it as a business income if poker is your primary source of income. Ensure to use a dedicated bank account to keep records of all of your transactions.

Overlooking or Misunderstanding State And Local Tax Laws

Some poker players ignore the tax laws and regulations related to poker. Many of them wrongly assume that they just need to pay taxes in their own country, while many others fail to understand tax duties in the jurisdiction they play. Also some players even assume that online poker winnings are tax-free or that taxes are just applicable to live events. In reality, tax laws may vary from country to country and failing to understand these laws related to poker may lead you into trouble.

Solution: Make sure to research and understand taxes related to both online and live poker in your jurisdiction and anywhere you compete. Seek the help of a tax professional to ensure compliance to tax rules.

Key Considerations For Poker Taxation in India

If you are in India, all online poker platforms are required to deduct TDS on your poker winnings whether they are below or above ₹10,000. Your winnings are taxed at a flat rate of 30% under Section 115BB of the Income Tax Act. Any bonuses, referral incentives, or other inducements you are offered by online platforms are also taxable income. However, losses from poker can be set off against winnings in the same financial year.

Not Seeking Professional Advice or Using Tax Software

Another common mistake players make is ignoring the importance of consulting a tax professional for advice  or not utilizing the tax software.

If you are a poker pro with a significant income, you cannot ignore professional advice. Similarly, not using tax software may lead to errors in tracking winnings, losses and deductions, thus resulting in compliance issues.

Solution: Seek help from a tax professional for advice on poker taxation to ensure you follow all the necessary rules and avoid compliance issues.

Not Filing Tax On Time

Some poker players leave the tax filing to the last minute or completely miss the specified filing deadline, which can result in penalties, interest charges or unnecessary stress. That not all, it may also result in errors in reporting winnings and deductions, thus leading to compliance issues.

Solution: Make sure to plan in advance by tracking your winnings, losses and expenses related to poker. Consult a tax professional or use software to file on time.

Conclusion

Avoiding tax pitfalls is essential for every poker pro to avoid compliance issues and ensure financial well-being. Keeping proper and accurate records, understanding both state and local tax obligations, and consulting a tax professional can help players maximize their winnings while staying compliant. Play smart both at the poker table and with your finances, plan ahead and do not allow tax mistakes eat your poker bankroll.

Disclaimer

This article is solely for information purposes and should not replace a professional tax advice. The laws related to poker winnings may vary from country to country, make sure to research and understand the laws or seek professional help to avoid tax pitfalls. 

Keep following PokerProNews for more updates related to poker taxation.

The post Avoiding Tax Pitfalls: Common Mistakes Poker Players Make first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.