Solana goes all in on the World Series of Poker

The World Series of Poker has accepted cryptocurrency for the first time in its history, partnering with the Solana Foundation to let players pay tournament entry fees using Solana ($SOL). The new payment option went live on June 10 at the 57th annual WSOP summer event, held at Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas, with zero processing fees through MoonPay's payment infrastructure.

Two-Stage Rollout: Vegas Now, Bahamas in December

The integration is rolling out in two stages. Buy-ins using $SOL are available immediately at the Las Vegas venues. Then, in December, WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas will take things further: tournament winners will be able to receive their payouts in stablecoins on Solana, giving players near-instant access to winnings and removing the friction that typically comes with international wire transfers.

Beyond payments, the Solana Foundation has secured the official presenting sponsorship of both the 2026 World Series of Poker and WSOP Paradise. The WSOP 2026 Main Event returns to ESPN on July 2 and will be broadcast to more than 130 countries and over 300 million homes worldwide. That makes @solana's branding placement one of the most visible in poker's history.

More Than a Payment Rail

The deal extends well beyond a payment integration. The Solana Foundation plans to sponsor a select group of professional poker ambassadors during the summer series and will host hospitality events at the Las Vegas venues. Collaborative onchain poker products, developed alongside @WSOP, are also in the pipeline.

WSOP CEO Ty Stewart called the partnership a natural fit: "Solana's ecosystem, like the WSOP, constantly challenges conventions and remains laser-focused on the consumer experience."

Solana Foundation Chief Product Officer Vibhu Norby framed the alignment between the two communities around a shared mindset: trading on Solana and playing poker both demand hard decisions under incomplete information. The Foundation is betting that the overlap between crypto-native users and the global poker audience is large enough to drive meaningful adoption on both sides.

For @WSOP, the move modernises a payments stack that has long relied on cash cages and credit cards. For @solana, a presenting sponsorship on ESPN and in over 130 countries is a rare piece of mainstream visibility at a moment when the network is actively pushing into real-world payments use cases.

Sources:
Decrypt: Solana Sponsors the World Series of Poker, Enabling Crypto Entry Fees and Payouts
TheStreet Crypto: Solana Brings Crypto Payments to WSOP for the First Time
Pokerfuse: WSOP Partners With Solana, Allowing Tournament Entry with Cryptocurrency for the First Time