Press Releases
2022 WSOP in Review: Week One Highlights and What to Look Forward To

The 53rd annual World Series of Poker® (WSOP®) wrapped up its first week of play at its new home on the Las Vegas Strip inside Bally’s, the future Horseshoe Las Vegas, and Paris Las Vegas. With the first of 88 gold bracelets already awarded and the conclusion of two high roller events this weekend, the World Series of Poker opening week delivered on heartwarming victories, show-stopping action and a star-studded playing field featuring some of poker’s most prestigious players.
Week 1 Highlights
Shuffle Up and Deal! Lisa Vanderpump kicks off the 53rd annual World Series of Poker
Renowned restaurateur and television star Lisa Vanderpump kicked off the first-ever WSOP on the Las Vegas Strip with a memorable “Shuffle Up and Deal” moment at Event #1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em.
Katie Kopp takes home the first gold bracelet of this year’s WSOP in Event #1: $500 Casino Employees Event No-Limit Hold’em
Katie Kopp, a long-time dealer and poker player, beat a field of 832 players to claim her first WSOP gold bracelet at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas. No stranger to the tournament, Kopp previously placed third in the same event back in 2018.
Poker legend Phil Ivey cashes his first event following a year hiatus
10-time gold bracelet winner Phil Ivey made his grand return to the WSOP, placing #7 and taking home $133,127 in Event #2: $100,000 High Roller Bounty.
What To Look Forward To
Saturday, June 4 – Event #5A: The Housewarming No-Limit Hold’em
Players will face off for a chance at a guaranteed $5,000,000 prize pool in one of the WSOP’s most anticipated events.
Sunday, June 5 – Online Event #1: No Limit Hold’em High Roller Freezeout
The first online event of this year’s WSOP will kick off with a $25,000 buy-in high roller event
The full 2022 WSOP schedule, including a booking link for discounted participant hotel rates, can be found on WSOP.com. Players should follow @WSOP on Twitter or IG or check WSOP.com for event news and updates.
Upcoming WSOP live streaming on PokerGO: PokerGO is the exclusive home for 2022 WSOP live streaming. Available worldwide on all of your favorite devices, including Android phone, Android tablet, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon FireTV, and on any web or mobile browser at PokerGO.com, PokerGO is streaming more than 30 days of live action from the 2022 WSOP, starting with Event #3: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout streaming live today at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). Event #6: $25,000 Heads-Up Championship will begin airing on Saturday, June 4, with the semifinal round. Monday, June 6, and Wednesday, June 8, will see the conclusion of two high roller tournaments, Event #8: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller and Event #12: $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller. Sign up for PokerGO so you never miss a WSOP moment. Get $30 off with discount code WSOP30 at checkout.
Latest News
Brazilian Ministry of Sports and IBIA sign sports betting integrity agreement

The Brazilian Ministry of Sports and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) have signed a sports betting integrity cooperation agreement. This partnership will enable the sharing of information concerning suspicious betting activity connected to Brazilian sports and support collaboration on integrity-related investigations.
The agreement brings together the governmental body tasked with safeguarding the integrity and development of Brazilian sport, and the largest international betting integrity monitor for private operators in the world. Leading industry data and intelligence company H2 Gambling Capital has forecast that IBIA covers more than 70% of Brazil’s licensed remote gambling market.
According to ‘The Availability of Sports Betting Products: An Economic and Integrity Analysis’ study published last year, the sports betting regulatory regime in Brazil is projected to create $34bn (R$191.7bn) in sports betting turnover by 2028. With this increased growth comes a greater responsibility to protect customers, sports and betting operators from match-fixing.
A key element of the new Brazilian regulatory framework is the requirement that operators seeking a licence must join an independent sports integrity monitoring body. This licensing requirement is helping to strengthen IBIA’s capacity to monitor, assess and protect betting transactions in Brazil’s regulated sports betting market and maintain the integrity of Brazilian sporting events.
Minister of Sport, André Fufuca, said: “Today we are signing a milestone in the fight against match-fixing in Brazilian sport. Integrity must be a constant principle when it comes to transparency, ethics and, above all, the correctness of sports results. With these agreements, we will have more than enough instruments to curb this practice and guarantee greater transparency in competitions. Thus, athletes, clubs, organizations, fans and the entire population will be able to fully trust in the fairness of the results and, with this, will have peace of mind to develop the full potential of Brazilian sport.”
Khalid Ali, IBIA CEO, said: “IBIA welcomes this important partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Sports. As the market grows, so too does the responsibility to ensure that robust integrity safeguards are in place. This agreement will ensure that information on suspicious betting is swiftly shared with the Ministry to support effective integrity actions. This includes access to detailed, account-level data available only through IBIA’s unique network.”
IBIA is a globally recognised non-profit organization that seeks to safeguard the integrity of the sports and betting sectors by fighting betting related match-fixing and fraud. It provides a free integrity monitoring service to sports governing bodies, regulatory authorities, government ministries, and law enforcement agencies that, importantly, has no potential conflicts created by the provision of competing commercial services, enabling all parties to efficiently and effectively cooperate in investigating, prosecuting and deterring sports betting related match-fixing.
IBIA monitors over $300bn per annum in betting turnover across more than 140 sports betting brands globally, making IBIA the largest betting integrity monitor of its type for private operators in the world. The association’s unrivalled access to detailed global customer transactional data has, and will continue, to play a pivotal role in protecting the Brazilian sports betting market and sporting events from corrupt activity. IBIA recently released its global alert data for the first quarter of 2025, detailing that 63 cases of suspicious betting were reported to the relevant authorities.
awards
Wazdan wins Industry Innovation of the Year at SBC Awards Americas 2025

Wazdan, the leading gain-focused developer known for its innovative approach to iGaming content, has been awarded Industry Innovation of the Year (North America) at SBC Awards Americas 2025.
The award recognises the company’s consistent efforts to develop solutions tailored to the specific demands of the North American market, combining latest technology with an understanding of local player preferences.
For years, Wazdan has delivered products that not only meet regulatory requirements but, above all, respond to user expectations in terms of gameplay, personalisation, and high-quality entertainment.
Wazdan continues to expand its presence across North America, forming strategic partnerships with leading operators and tailoring its titles to meet the regulatory requirements of individual jurisdictions. The company’s growth in the region is driven by locally focused innovation and a long-term collaborative strategy.
Attendees of SBC Summit Americas 2025 are invited to meet the Wazdan team who are situated at Stand D650, ready to showcase its latest solutions and award-winning products.
Izabela Słodkowska-Popiel, Head of Account Management for North and Latin America, said: “Innovation is not a one-off initiative, it’s a mindset that guides us at every stage of product design and delivery. Receiving the Industry Innovation of the Year award confirms that our focus on technological solutions and user-driven design is a proven formula.
“This recognition marks another important step in Wazdan’s growth and highlights the company’s strong and ever-expanding presence in one of the most dynamic iGaming markets.”
Compliance Updates
Brazilian Ministry of Sports and Sportradar Partner to Strengthen Integrity in Sports in Region

The Brazilian Ministry of Sports and Sportradar Group AG formalized a Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) focused on protecting the integrity of sports betting in the country. The partnership provides for the exchange of information related to the betting market and the implementation of joint initiatives to combat match-fixing.
Sportradar will provide specialized support to the Brazilian Ministry of Sports, including the reporting of potentially suspicious activity detected by its industry-leading Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS). In addition, Sportradar will provide education and training for Ministry of Sports personnel and staff focused on best practices in monitoring, identifying and investigating suspicious activities. The first workshop will be held on May 15 and include the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, a recent partner with whom Sportradar also signed an ACT.
André Fufuca, Brazil’s Minister of Sport, said: “Today we signed a milestone agreement in the fight against match-fixing in Brazilian sports. Integrity must be a constant principle when it comes to transparency, ethics, and, above all, the fairness of sports results. With this agreement, we will have tools to curb this practice and ensure greater transparency in competitions. This way, athletes, clubs, organizations, fans, and the entire population will be able to trust the fairness of the outcomes and, in turn, have the confidence to unlock the full potential of Brazilian sports.”
Andreas Krannich, EVP, Integrity and Regulatory Services, Sportradar said: “Establishing this partnership with the Ministry of Sports is an important milestone in strengthening sports integrity in Brazil. As a global integrity leader, leveraging cutting-edge technology to prevent and combat match-fixing, we believe that protecting competitions requires coordinated action between the public and private sectors. Through this collaboration, Sportradar continues to reaffirm its commitment to a more transparent and safer sports environment for the athletes and all the stakeholders involved in Brazilian sport.
This ACT adds to Sportradar’s growing number of integrity services partnerships in Brazil that include recent agreements signed with the Goiás State Attorney’s Office, the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV) and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), as well as existing relationships with soccer federations in 17 Brazilian states, creating a strong network focused on protecting the integrity of sport in the country.
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