ClubWPT Gold Pulls Out of Nevada After State Regulatory Action

ClubWPT Gold Nevada exit represented by a poker table overlooking the Las Vegas Strip.

By Jennifer Newell · Published September 25, 2026 · 3 min read

ClubWPT Gold told Nevada players on Thursday, September 24, 2026 that it is winding down services in the state “in response to state regulatory action.”
Deposits are already shut off; players can keep playing until midnight on September 28 and are urged to withdraw balances by October 2.
The exit drops the sweepstakes site from 42 states to 41 and leaves WSOP Online as Nevada’s only licensed real-money poker room.

ClubWPT Gold Nevada players lost an online poker option this week. On Thursday, September 24, 2026, ClubWPT Gold announced it is winding down services in the state. The company told players the move came “in response to state regulatory action.” Deposits stopped immediately, and gameplay ends at midnight on September 28. The site is asking players to cash out remaining balances by October 2. The withdrawal drops ClubWPT Gold from 42 states to 41. It also removes one of the most active sweepstakes poker rooms from a market where regulated choice was already thin. Here is what happened, why Nevada forced the issue, and what it means for players who used the site.

What ClubWPT Gold Told Nevada Players

The site notified Nevada customers by email with a short, blunt message: “As part of changes to our operations in response to state regulatory action, ClubWPT Gold will be winding down services in Nevada.” A statement on its player support page struck a more hopeful tone. The company said it will be “pausing sweepstakes gameplay in Nevada.” It added, “We are optimistic that with product modifications we can resume offering sweepstakes gameplay in the future.”

The practical timeline is tight. Players can no longer make “purchases,” the site’s term for deposits. However, they can keep entering poker games until midnight on September 28. After that, the tables go dark for Nevada. The company is encouraging players to redeem any account balances by October 2.

How the Sweepstakes Model Works

ClubWPT Gold does not sell casino chips the way a regulated site sells a real-money buy-in. Instead, players buy poker hand analysis and receive free chips as part of the package. They then use those chips at the tables. One chip is worth one dollar when it comes time to cash out. That alternative purchase structure distinguishes ClubWPT Gold from a traditional real-money poker site. However, similar sweepstakes-style models have faced growing regulatory scrutiny.

Why Nevada Forced the Issue

Nevada did not pass a law naming ClubWPT Gold. In 2025, the state approved SB 256, strengthening penalties and enforcement tools against illegal gaming operators. The law did not specifically name sweepstakes platforms. ClubWPT Gold had operated in the state under a restructured “Hand Analysis” product. The company argued that setup kept it outside the statute. That structure ultimately did not prevent regulatory action. However, ClubWPT Gold’s announcement did not identify the specific Nevada action that triggered the shutdown.

It helps to keep the terms straight here. A licensed, regulated poker site holds a state gaming license and answers to a state regulator. A sweepstakes site uses an alternative promotional model and is not licensed as a real-money poker room. That distinction is the whole story in Nevada, where you can read more about the state’s rules and its lone regulated operator in our Nevada online poker guide.

Part of a Nationwide Crackdown

Nevada is not an isolated case. Sweepstakes operators have faced growing pressure across the country through cease-and-desist letters and new legislation. Global Poker, owned by VGW, completed a phased exit from Nevada in April 2025. ClubWPT Gold also left Arizona in 2026 after the Arizona Department of Gaming sent cease-and-desist letters to operators. The broader legal fight is still playing out in several states. That includes the Florida attorney general’s lawsuit against Global Poker owner VGW. For a wider view of where each state stands, our state-by-state poker legislation guide tracks the moving pieces.

A Real Loss for Nevada Players

ClubWPT Gold had become a genuine player in Nevada over the past couple of years, not a fringe option. The site carries high-profile ambassadors in Phil Ivey, Doug Polk, and Ethan “Rampage” Yau, and it runs some of the largest daily guarantees you will find in U.S. online poker. That includes the roughly bi-weekly Gold Million, a $218 buy-in tournament with a $1 million guarantee. For recreational players and pros alike, losing that volume in Nevada stings.

There are open questions on the live side, too. The World Poker Tour still plans a $400 Super Gold Million with a $3 million guarantee in December at the 2026 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. That is a live event on a physical tournament floor, so Nevada’s action against the online product does not affect it. What is less clear is how the exit will affect ClubWPT Gold’s daily online guarantees going forward.

What ClubWPT Gold’s Nevada Exit Means for Players

If you played on ClubWPT Gold in Nevada, cash out your balance before October 2 and don’t wait. After that, your only licensed real-money option inside the state is WSOP Online, which shares its player pool with New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania through the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement. ClubWPT Gold is not leaving the U.S. entirely, so players can still access it by traveling to states where it continues to operate, just not Arizona. The bigger takeaway is simple: the ground under sweepstakes poker keeps shifting, and where you can play today is not a guarantee of where you can play tomorrow.

Sandra is a content writer and editor specializing in online poker and iGaming. She covers poker sites, game formats, industry news, and US online poker laws for Legal US Poker Sites.