Florida poker fans will have another option to play their favorite game online in a few months.
The most recent gaming compact didn’t include Florida online poker. Thus, sweepstakes casinos and poker rooms are Floridians’ only options.
In an interview with PlayFL, World Poker Tour CEO Adam Pliska confirmed the company plans to launch its own sweepstakes poker room available to Floridians. Pliska said ClubWPT Gold will debut in early 2025. There may be small beta tests in December with more openings in January, but the company isn’t in a rush.
“Like everything else with the WPT, we see this as a marathon. We know that slowly building out in iterations and building with player feedback is important. But in early 2025, players will be able to go online and have a great time.”
Sweepstakes poker vs. online poker
Poker is legal in Florida. And it’s very popular. Unfortunately, real money online poker remains off-limits for now. That’s where sweepstakes poker comes in.
Players use virtual money in sweepstakes poker rooms. They win prizes, not cash. However, those prizes are usually redeemable for real money.
Global Poker is a sweepstakes favorite in Florida. Global Poker is free to set up. Players play with the game’s currency and can play ring games, sit-n-go contests and multi-table tournaments. No-limit Texas Hold ’em is a favorite.
Only a few states – Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Connecticut – have legalized online poker rooms.
Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, and New Jersey are part of a liquidity pool that allows players in those states to compete against each other across state lines.
Players buy Gold Coins to play
WPT CEO and President Adam Pliska said its new ClubWPT Gold is launching at the perfect time.
“Our return to Wynn Las Vegas this December is equipped with another monumental investment into the development and growth of not only the WPT World Championship but the poker industry as a whole. In celebration of the launch of ClubWPT Gold, we’re aiming for another first for the poker world with the largest freeroll ever offered.”
ClubWPT Gold will be similar to ClubWPT. While real money is not used in the games, players must purchase Gold Coins to participate. Additionally, players receive an equal amount of Sweeps Coins, another virtual currency that can be used in other online games.
