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Canada-US Tariffs Poker Impact: Will WSOP 2025 Lose Its Northern Edge?

28 Mar 2025

Shane Lambert 28 Mar 2025

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US imposes a 25% tariff on Canadian auto imports, sparking a backlash.
Canadian participation in WSOP 2025 may dip due to increased costs, border issues, and nationalism.
Canadian consumer boycotts of US products could extend to skipping poker events like WSOP.

U.S. tariffs should cause a Canadian backlash, threatening WSOP 2025 turnout. Boycotts and border woes may keep Canuck poker fans home. Who will fold first in this poker drama?

International Poker Travel Not Immune From Trade War

As of March 28th, 2025, the poker community is abuzz with discussions about how U.S.-imposed tariffs might affect Canadian participation in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2025. This event is set for May 27th to July 16th in Las Vegas, meaning the start is not that far off anymore.

But President Donald Trump’s recent 25% tariff on Canadian auto imports, effective April 3rd, alongside broader trade threats, has sparked a Canadian backlash, including a growing boycott of American products. When it comes to a nation's economy, nothing is isolated. Accordingly, Canadians and Americans alike have to wonder how the current economic tension in America and North America might ripple into the world of poker.

Prediction: WSOP Numbers Dip in 2025

A Canadian who wins their seat in a WSOP via a satellite will still go down to Las Vegas. But in the bigger picture, it's very plausible that some Canadian players will start reconsidering their WSOP plans.

Posts on social media, including Elon Musk's X, amplify some sentiments that could infiltrate the poker economy. For instance, @pokerfuse tweeted on March 27th, 2025, “Amid rising US-Canada tensions fueled by Trump’s tariffs, some Canadian players are rethinking their @WSOP 2025 plans—but will it impact participation?”

The question’s odd—fewer Canadians would naturally mean lower turnout (ie. it would affect participation). The WSOP is not the kind of event that reaches capacity and then stops taking more entrants.

American boycotts are already firmly entrenched in Canadian consumerism. Narrative Research reported that three-quarters of Canadians altered their purchasing habits to avoid U.S. goods in an article at National Observer earlier this month. Halifax resident Darcy Comeau told Canada’s National Observer, “I think we should really cut them off, and we should stay 100 per cent Canadian.”

Keeping in mind that poker players, as a group, are made up largely of amateurs, as opposed to dedicated professionals, skipping the WSOP 2025 could certainly be on the table for a lot of Canucks. It's not just costs but patriotism and independence that are on the table. This all doesn't even factor in those who might stay home to avoid increased travel hassles, like the kind Canadians are now expecting at the border.

Any dip in participation would be cushioned by the fact that Americans can float their casinos. But businesses often hope just to make small gains year to year. Don't be surprised if the WSOP 2025 event takes a small step backward instead.

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