This Week in Poker: New Laws, New Stars, and Big Wins from Cyprus to Edmonton

Last Updated on September 23, 2026 by Bala Kumar

Some weeks in poker are all about one giant tournament. This wasn’t one of them. Instead, the past few days gave us a bit of everything: a political fight brewing in Ohio, a young American talent who can’t legally play at home yet, a career-best comeback on the Mediterranean coast, and an NHL team shuffling up for a good cause.

1. Ohio Takes Another Shot at Online Casinos

Ohio lawmakers are back at it. After the state’s attempt to legalize online casinos fell short in 2025, a new proposal is trying a different approach, one designed to win over the brick-and-mortar casinos that have been nervous about losing customers to their phones.

What’s actually in the bill?

The plan is unusual. Only Ohio’s 11 existing casinos would be eligible for online gaming licenses. And there’s a twist that could make it the first of its kind: online promotional credits would be banned entirely. Operators would instead have to offer incentives that bring players into land-based casinos.

State Rep. Brian Stewart (R), who is behind the proposal, believes linking online and retail gaming together will ease fears that iGaming would eat into physical casino revenue. It could also keep a handful of giant operators from dominating the market the way they have with mobile sports betting.

Why it matters

Supporters estimate the bill could bring in $400 million in state tax revenue. The proposal is expected to come up during the 2027 budget process, at the same time as a Republican push to eliminate the state income tax by 2030, and new gaming revenue could help fund that plan.

Stewart is well aware of the politics. He warned that if the bill turns into a turf war between gaming interests, “it’s dead on Day 1.”

The election factor

Timing could be everything. Governor Mike DeWine has opposed previous efforts, but he’s term-limited, and Ohioans pick a new governor in November. Democratic candidate Amy Acton has said she supports legalization as long as strong consumer protections and responsible gambling resources are in place, while Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has been more noncommittal but has said any expansion must be done responsibly.

The opposition isn’t going away

Churchill Downs Incorporated, which co-owns Miami Valley Gaming, opposes online gaming expansion and belongs to the National Association Against iGaming. It already sued Maine earlier this year after that state legalized online gaming through its tribes. Jack Entertainment, which runs two Ohio properties, is also a member of the anti-iGaming group.

What it means for poker players

This is the part poker fans should watch. Ohio is surrounded by three iGaming states: West Virginia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. If Ohio legalizes and joins the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, it would add a population of around 12 million to shared online poker player pools. Pennsylvania was the last state to join, back in 2025. A bigger pool means bigger fields and bigger guarantees, which is exactly what regulated U.S. online poker needs.

2. Meet Joseph Olivieri, the 20-Year-Old Who’s Already Winning Rings

Joseph Olivieri has a problem most poker players would love to have: he’s winning too much, too young.

At just 20, the North Carolina native holds two WSOP Circuit rings and seven Seminole Hard Rock Poker titles, and he isn’t old enough to play in most U.S. poker rooms. He has around $300,000 in earnings, and unlike most rising stars, he’s built his résumé in mixed games rather than No-Limit Hold’em.

His story started humbly. He first got into poker at 16 by dealing home games in North Carolina. Since he can’t play at home until he turns 21 in March, he’s found success at Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, where players can gamble at 18.

His latest win came in Texas, where he took down the Pot-Limit Big O event at TCH Social in Austin for $31,990, beating WSOP bracelet winner Yuval Bronshtein heads-up.

What’s next for Olivieri: He’ll head to Taiwan for the APT Championship in November, then begin his bracelet hunt at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas in December, before a full mixed-games schedule in Las Vegas next summer once he’s of age.

Keep that name in your notes. You’ll probably be seeing it again.

3. Congya Zhang’s Career-Best Win in Northern Cyprus

Over in the Mediterranean, the Merit Crystal Cove Casino hosted the $2,200 Global Poker Championship, the flagship event of the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party. The tournament drew 830 entries and built a $2,000,000 prize pool, and China’s Congya Zhang walked away with the $300,000 top prize, the biggest score of her career.

The comeback

What makes Zhang’s win special is where she started. When the final day began with 16 players left, she was 12th in chips. Even when she reached the final table, she was seventh of nine, with roughly a quarter of the stack held by chip leader Mengdian Peng.

From there, she took over. She eventually eliminated every one of her final five opponents herself. She sealed the title when Russia’s Sergei Petrushevskii moved all in with pocket fives and Zhang called with pocket jacks, which held.

Final Table Results

Three Chinese players finished in the top four, and Zhang made a point of it afterward, calling her win “a big moment for China” and praising the strength of the Chinese players who travel to compete there.

Northern Cyprus is heating up. This won’t be the last big poker news from the island this year. Triton Poker arrives at the nearby Merit Royal Diamond in November, with the mid-stakes Triton ONE series from November 5 to 15 followed by the Super High Roller Series from November 15 to 30.

4. The Edmonton Oilers Deal Cards for Kids

Not every poker story is about big prize pools. Sometimes it’s about what the game can do for a community.

The Edmonton Oilers held the third edition of their Charity Poker Tournament, presented by Play Alberta, to support the Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative and raise money for kids across Oil Country. The event took place at Rogers Place, the team’s home arena.

It’s a great reminder that poker’s reach goes well beyond casinos and TV final tables. When a major pro sports franchise makes poker a centerpiece of its charity calendar for three years running, it says a lot about how mainstream the game has become. The team hasn’t published a fundraising total yet, so we’ll update this post if one is announced.

The Takeaway

Put this week’s stories side by side and a clear picture emerges. Poker is growing in every direction at once. Lawmakers in Ohio are debating how, not whether, to bring online gaming to millions more players. Young talents like Olivieri are breaking through years ahead of schedule. International stops like Northern Cyprus are drawing hundreds of entries and producing new champions like Zhang. And the game keeps finding new audiences, even at an NHL arena.

We’ll be back next week with more. In the meantime, if you’re in Ohio, it might be worth keeping an eye on those November election results.

FAQs

Bala Kumar

Founder of PokerClubGames.com and a Poker Researcher with 10+ years of experience in SEO, WordPress development, and gaming content strategy. Specializes in researching online poker sites, poker apps, tournaments, bonuses, and poker strategies. Experienced in poker platform reviews, affiliate marketing, and creating SEO-focused poker content for global audiences.

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