GGPoker’s Ontario-only WSOP Online comes with C$7 million in guarantees and eight bracelet events, while PokerStars brings back the Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP) with C$2 million guaranteed and a wide range of buy-ins. Together, these two festivals anchor what has become the most stacked month Ontario poker players have ever seen.
WSOP Online Ontario on GGPoker
The return of WSOP Online in Ontario is the crown jewel of September, combining record guarantees with the allure of official gold bracelets. This series is designed to capture both serious grinders and recreational players in a tightly regulated environment.
With C$7 million guaranteed and eight bracelet events, it represents the largest online poker festival the province has ever hosted, setting a new standard for regulated play in Canada. For Ontario players, this is not just another tournament schedule, it is a chance to become part of WSOP history without leaving their home setups.
The C$7 million guaranteed prize pool underscores just how ambitious this festival is. It is the highest commitment yet for an Ontario-only online event, confirming the strength of the market. Players now have more incentive than ever to log in and compete, knowing that multiple seven-figure guarantees are available throughout September.
With eight bracelet events on the calendar, Ontario players have rare access to one of poker’s most prestigious prizes. These bracelets carry the same recognition as those earned in Las Vegas or international WSOP series, giving Ontario winners a permanent place in poker’s global records.
Winners of the bracelet events will also secure packages to WSOP Paradise in December. This adds another layer of value, connecting online play in Ontario with a live global destination event. For many, this will be a gateway to competing against an international field in a tropical location.
PokerStars Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP)
Running from September 12-29, PokerStars’ Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP) offers players a deep, inclusive schedule with something for every bankroll. C$2 million in guarantees stretch across dozens of events, with buy-ins ranging from C$20 to C$2,500.
By keeping its ecosystem ring-fenced to Ontario, PokerStars ensures compliance with provincial regulations while still delivering the competitive prestige of a flagship series. This mix of accessibility and structure allows players at all levels to take part in provincial championship battles.
The ONCOOP schedule is anchored by its C$2 million guaranteed prize pool. While smaller than WSOP Online, the PokerStars guarantee still represents one of the largest regulated online commitments in Ontario and ensures steady participation across the two-week span.
With buy-ins starting as low as C$20 and climbing to C$2,500, ONCOOP caters to a wide spectrum of players. This inclusivity makes it one of the most flexible series available, with both casual players and seasoned professionals able to find their place on the schedule.
Unlike many series that focus on a single flagship event, ONCOOP delivers multiple Main Events. These finals serve to crown provincial champions in different formats and stakes, giving Ontario players several opportunities to capture a career-defining win.
For players comparing platforms, payments, and responsible-gaming tools across the broader regulated ecosystem, roundups of online casinos in Canada are a useful companion to this month’s poker slate, many of the same licensed operators power both casino and poker products, with shared account wallets, KYC standards, and cashier options that make moving between tournaments and table games straightforward.
WPT Global Summer Million Festival
Ontario’s online growth has been matched by a strong summer on the live side. In August, WPT Global brought its inaugural Summer Million Festival to Playground in Montreal. The festival showcased how international operators are leveraging both live and online channels in Canada, offering over C$1.5 million guaranteed across 25 trophy events. This mix of guaranteed prize pools and trophy hunting added momentum heading into the September online wave.
The Summer Million Festival at Playground put C$1.5 million in guarantees on the line, reinforcing the appetite for large-scale poker festivals in Canada. Players responded strongly, filling fields across all 25 scheduled events. With 25 trophy events, the WPT Global series gave players multiple opportunities to walk away with hardware.
These events offered variety in format and buy-in, keeping the schedule dynamic for those chasing titles. Playground in Montreal once again solidified its reputation as Canada’s premier live poker venue. By hosting WPT Global’s first Summer Million Festival, it reinforced its standing as the go-to location for major tournaments in the region.
Jacob Hobday’s WSOP Circuit Main Event Victory
One of the most remarkable highlights leading into September came from Ontario’s Jacob Hobday. In a record-setting WSOP Circuit Main Event at Playground, Hobday turned a $75 satellite entry into US$446,400 after topping a field of 1,978 entries. His story illustrates both the accessibility of modern poker and the life-changing results still possible for disciplined grinders.
Hobday’s run began with a modest $75 satellite entry. This demonstrates the continued value of qualifiers, where relatively small investments can open the door to massive opportunities. The Main Event drew 1,978 entries, the largest ever for a WSOP Circuit Main Event in Canada.
That scale underscores the current popularity of live tournament poker in the country. By outlasting the nearly 2,000-strong field, Hobday secured US$446,400. This victory instantly placed him among Ontario’s most successful players in terms of single-tournament earnings.
Ontario’s Regulatory Market Data
Beyond tournaments and individual results, Ontario’s regulated iGaming market provides crucial context for why September has become so significant. iGaming Ontario now publishes monthly reports that break out wagers and revenue across casino, sports betting, and peer-to-peer poker. These figures confirm that Ontario is not just active but expanding, with steady year-over-year growth recorded across verticals.
The decision to update reports monthly gives players, operators, and analysts a much clearer read on market activity. Poker is no longer lumped into generic casino categories, offering transparency specific to the peer-to-peer sector. By dividing the data into casino, betting, and poker, iGaming Ontario helps identify which areas are growing fastest.
This level of detail is rare in global markets, making Ontario one of the most transparent regulated environments. The most recent updates confirm that Ontario has achieved sustained year-over-year growth. Even with shifts in product mix during the summer, peer-to-peer poker has remained a consistent contributor to overall market strength.
