Alex Scott, WPT Global President, told PokerNews in an interview during the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship festival that he’s ecstatic with his online poker site’s growth, but anticipates even bigger things to come in 2025.
The online poker market is competitive with longtime established brands such as PokerStars and partypoker continuing to have success, and then of course there’s GGPoker, a newer online giant that recently purchased the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and has major ambassadors patched up such as Daniel Negreanu and Fedor Holz.
But WPT Global, as Scott confidently states, isn’t here to play second fiddle to anyone. His company not only has the World Poker Tour name recognition, but also high-profile ambassadors of its own, including Phil Ivey, Brad Owen, and Ethan “Rampage” Yau. Equally valuable, the poker site has something unique to offer that players won’t find elsewhere.
“I think there’s been a resurgence in competition in online poker the last couple of years,” Scott said.
How WPT Global is Unique
Poker sites historically have allowed players to enter any cash game the site has to offer that they so choose, so long as there is a seat open and the player has the required funds available. But that isn’t the case on WPT Global as Scott explained. They’re using modern technology — artificial intelligence (A.I.) — to give all players, recreational and pros, the best possible online poker experience.
“A lot of people are really excited that we bring something different to the marketing,” the WPT Global boss said. “The way that we manage our cash games, we have a system called FairGame, which uses A.I. to make sure every table is perfectly balanced.”
What he means by that is the FairGame technology ensures that no recreational or professional player gets stuck in a cash game with too many pros. It’s beneficial to both types of players.
WPT Global, as Scott confirmed, categorizes players as either an expert (pro) or a casual player based on playing habits. No table on WPT Global will seat more than two players classified as experts, meaning the games are never too tough for grinders or recreational players. Scott, who lives in Isle of Man but hails from England, said the players on the site are not aware of how they are categorized and each player can only view tables they are eligible to join.
“If you’re a recreational player, you’ll be sat with mostly other recreational players, which is better for you because if you sit down on GG, you’re going to be up against eight experts, most likely. People playing 24 tables, they fill a lot of seats,” Scott said. “And, if you’re an expert, it’s also better for you not to be playing against other experts.”
Scott, who came up in the online poker industry working for PokerStars, believes WPT Global’s distribution of players “makes the games more sustainable.” But he also anticipates his competitors will eventually copy the idea.
Continuing to Crush It
Scott is proud of WPT Global’s growth in 2024. The online poker site has stood toe-to-toe with industry giants PokerStars and GGPoker, and the site’s president raved about reaching second worldwide in terms of average cash game traffic.
“Absolutely we’re taking the fight to them,” Scott said of competing against the top brands in online poker. “We want to be the biggest, we want to be the best, we want to be a player’s first choice. We’ve done a lot in the last couple of years to make people aware of who we are, what we stand for, and what’s different about us.”
A big part of WPT Global’s success has been its branding efforts at World Poker Tour stops around the world, including in Las Vegas this month during the WPT World Championship festival.
“We want players to choose us based on our merits, and we want to take the fight to GG,” Scott confidently stated. “It’s not easy. They’re a formidable competitor, and so is (PokerStars). I must say, though, we don’t spend our time thinking about them. We have our goals, and achieving our goals doesn’t mean copying GGPoker and PokerStars.”
WPT Global has shaken up the online poker industry the past couple of years. They’re backed by a longtime trusted brand (World Poker Tour), and they’re bringing innovation into the market. What should the industry expect from the poker site in 2025? If 2024 is any indication, it’s a two-word answer — big things.
Industry Insiders: WPT Global President Alex Scott is Ready for the Spotlight