We pay a price for poker going mainstream.
Not long ago, the poker world was quite different. Author Jim McManus wrote, “To play high-stakes poker in those days, you had to be a badass. You had to beat the local players, you had to beat the cops who were raiding the quasi-legal games, and you had to beat the outlaws who would come after you after you won the money.”
In those days, corporations were forbidden from owning casinos. After all, the conventional wisdom went, how can you run a background check on a corporation to see if it qualifies for a license?
When that law changed, the gangsters may have been run out of town, but many felt they were replaced by different predators.
As folk singer Woody Guthrie put it:
“As through this world I’ve wandered
I’ve seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun
And some with a fountain pen.”
And when the faceless corporations have secured television rights to beam the game into the living rooms of millions of people, accommodations must be made to recover their investment, protect the corporate image, and not offend Middle America.
When Sponsorships Become A Livelihood
This does not sit well with many poker players, who may no longer fit the image of the Texas road gambler, but retain a strong streak of independence and anti-authoritarianism. This is especially true of those who make a living by the game, who, by some bizarre economic logic, pay to perform for those who are making money off of their performances.
These players earn money endorsing products and services, often indicated by logos and patches on their apparel. So when the WSOP threatens their livelihood by restricting what they can wear, it is no wonder they become upset.
No one questions the right of the WSOP to make rules determining who can play in their games and what players can wear, but the rules are particularly confusing in a number of ways, such as who they apply to and what is prohibited. Let’s take a look at them.
Can’t wait for all the shills that can’t wear patches on wsop streams to verbally plug their site every time action is on them.
— SuperSalty (@msalsberg) May 18, 2026
Breaking Down The Rules
Rule 52 begins by telling us that players at a “feature” table must get permission 24 hours before the logos are displayed. What is allowed under this rule is especially vague.
‘Under no circumstances shall logos be allowed which may be injurious or prejudicial to the interests of Host Properties, the World Series of Poker, ABC (and their subsidiaries and affiliates) or honest advertising and reputable business in general.’
Rule 53 applies to players in “all Tournaments taped for Television.” It also requires prior approval. The standard for what is allowed is different but equally vague, and for the first time identifies a particular prohibited product.
‘Host Properties reserve the right at all times to impose a ban on any apparel deemed objectionable or controversial by Host Properties, in their sole and absolute discretion, including, but not limited to, apparel with images or logos associated with marijuana products, or entities in these lines of business.’
Rule 54 also applies to “All Events taped for Television.” This rule contains specific rules on the size and placement of the allowed logos. It contains yet another way of stating what is permitted:
c. Under no circumstances will Host Properties permit and will immediately disapprove of any Participant wearing any logo, slogan, or promotional language of any organization (or any parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of any organization) that Host Properties, acting in its sole discretion, determines:
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Contains any false, unsubstantiated, or unwarranted claims for any product or service, or make any testimonials that Host Properties, in its sole and absolute discretion, considers unethical.
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Advertises any non-prescription or non “over the counter” drug, tobacco product, firearm, or firearm ammunition.
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Contains any material constituting or relating to a lottery, a contest of any kind in which the public is unfairly treated or any enterprise, service or product that abets, assists or promotes illegal
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Contains any material that is controversial, defamatory, obscene, profane, vulgar, repulsive or offensive, either in theme or in treatment or that describes or depicts repellently any internal bodily functions or symptomatic results of internal conditions or refers to matters that are not considered socially acceptable topics.
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Advertises any pornographic
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Includes any element of intellectual property without the owner’s consent to such use or that may give rise to any claim of infringement, misappropriation, or other form of unfair competition.
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Disparages or libels any person or
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Is engaged in (or is alleged to have been engaged in) conduct that Host Properties deem inappropriate, or which Host Properties determine could or does negatively impact the business or privileged license of Host Properties, its parent companies or any of its affiliates.
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Is or might be injurious or prejudicial to the interests of the WSOP or Host Properties or is otherwise contrary to honest advertising and reputable business in general. This includes, but is not limited to, the name or logo of any person or entity that uses or has used the trademarks, trade names or logos of Host Properties or its affiliated companies without written authorization from an authorized officer of Host Properties.
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Finally, just in case we missed the point, the rule ends by telling us once more:
d. Host Properties always reserve the right to impose a ban on any apparel deemed objectionable by Host Properties, in its sole and absolute discretion. Host Properties reserve the right to refuse entry or continued participation in an Event to any Participant who does not comply with the apparel rules.
Floor gentleman said I had to cover them up more. Im trying to play poker! pic.twitter.com/YXBP5SRtWC
— Uncle Ron (@UncleRonAA) July 6, 2026
Room For Improvement
Clear as mud? These rules are actually not much different from previous rules. The major difference is the requirement of prior approval. And there may be more stringent application of the rules, which can seem questionable and arbitrary.
Scott J. Burnham is Professor Emeritus at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington. He can be reached at profburnham@yahoo.com.
- Photos by PokerPT and Mason Hinkle
