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BetMGM announced the return of the BetMGM Poker Championship to ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The tournament features a $3 million guaranteed prize pool and will run from Monday, June 30, to Friday, July 4.
The tournament has a $3,500 buy-in and will headline the summer-long ARIA Poker Classic, which runs from May 29 through July 13. It will feature a live-streamed final table at the PokerGO Studio on July 4.
- $85 in Tournament Tickets On Deposit
- 100% Up To $1,000 On Deposit
- 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
- Use Bonus Code: USACHIP
- $85 in Tournament Tickets On Deposit
- 100% Up To $1,000 On Deposit
- 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
- Use Bonus Code: USACHIP
Online and live qualifiers available on BetMGM Poker in four markets
The BetMGM Poker Championship features two starting flights on June 30 and July 1. Two live $400 satellite tournaments will run on the evenings of June 29 and June 30, both guaranteeing at least 10 seats to the tournament.
Additionally, BetMGM Poker is running online qualifiers in its New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ontario (Canada) markets. Online “step” qualifiers start as low as $5, and $500 qualifiers run at 9:15 p.m. every Thursday and Sunday through June 22.
These $500 satellite events award a $5,000 package that includes:
- One $3,500 Championship entry
- A five-night stay at ARIA
- $650 travel credit
- A BetMGM swag bag
Players will earn BetMGM Rewards Points and Tier Credits for playing all online and live events at MGM properties. You can find the full 2025 ARIA Poker Classic schedule at ARIAPoker on X.
No longer a secret
This year’s BetMGM Poker Championship marks the fourth year with a live-streamed final table. Poker.org will provide live updates for the entire tournament, and the BetMGM YouTube channel will broadcast the live stream on the event’s final day.
Each year, the event has generated more buzz around town, and its fields have grown accordingly. Three years ago, Joey Weissman topped a 343-entry field ($1,097,600 prize pool) to earn $224,236.
Word got out about the tournament after that, and the 2023 version ballooned to 1,026 entries, with a prize pool of $3,283,200. Leo Taffe won the event for $560,442.
Last year’s event was even larger with 1,141 entries ($3,651,200 prize pool), and Daniel Maor took down the event to win $613,914. The top three finishers each earned more than Weissman’s tournament victory just two years earlier.
In a release, ARIA Director of Poker Operations Ryan Kirk said of the event:
ARIA has long been recognized as the epicenter of poker in Las Vegas and we’re proud, once again, to host the BetMGM Poker Championship during our ARIA Poker Classic. This event continues to raise the bar, bringing together the prestige of our world-class poker room with BetMGM’s innovative online platform. We look forward to welcoming players from across North America to experience the energy, excitement and hospitality that ARIA delivers.
BetMGM.com Poker Nevada coming soon?
BetMGM.com Poker operates with shared player pools in New Jersey and Michigan, and its ringfenced Pennsylvania players will be joining that pool imminently. It has held an online poker license in Nevada since 2012, yet failed to launch.
While sitting on its hands, MGM has received 14 extensions from the Nevada Gaming Commission, and its current waiver expires on April 24, a year after executives stated the site needed a year to open its virtual doors.
Speculation exists that BetMGM is poised to launch in Nevada but is awaiting Pennsylvania’s joining the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which allows for interstate online poker. Pennsylvania began discussing its potential membership in the MSIGA last October and could merge its player pools with those of New Jersey and Michigan at any time.
However, BetMGM will need to request another extension later this week unless news from Pennsylvania arrives within the next two days. While unlikely, the NGC could slam the door shut on any prospects for BetMGM Poker NV if it doesn’t act quickly.
Nevadans currently have one regulated option for online poker: WSOP.com. The site upgraded its software last year and introduced the first three-state tournament network, which includes New Jersey and Michigan, but has faced issues gaining popularity in the Silver State.
Until BetMGM enters the picture, that situation will remain unchanged.
