Home / Poker News May 2014 / Non-US Players Required to Provide Proof of Residence at 2014 WSOP
Non-US Players Required to Provide Proof of Residence at 2014 WSOP
Posted by: James Carter. - Fri, 2014-05-23 08:02
The other day, news broke of a – let’s call it surprising – shift in WSOP policy regarding player identification. Apparently, non-US residents will be required to provide double identification this year. While last year, such players could present their passports or their driver’s licenses as ID, this year, they will need those documents, plus something that will provide proof of where they reside. This can be a utility bill for instance or a residence card.
The problem with the news is that it was only announced a few days before the start of the
2014 WSOP (on Thursday apparently), via Twitter no less.
Now then, scores of players have already flown into Sin City, not having taken their utility bills with them obviously.
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Needless to say, scores of pros are already up in arms about the requirement, but especially about how the organizers have held out with the announcement until the last minute. Ben Wilinofsky for instance asked about those who did not actually have a stable residence. Pratyush Buddiga complained about the announcement’s last minute nature, while Jonas Mackoff said he had already left home and there was no way he could go back to fetch the required documents. Jason Duval and Jack Salter chimed in on the issue too, in no favorable terms of course.
The nature of the announcement and the time it was made gave rise to suspicion that it may be nothing but a hoax, a rumor. Bill Rini, WSOP.com’s head of poker confirmed it though.
The rule’s impact will be a pretty significant one too: last year, 21 of the bracelets ended up on the wrists of non-US players, and more than 30% of the overall prize money awarded went in their pockets.
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