Is this the End of Poker in America? Here's Why the Future Looks Bleak

In the 917th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz are joined by Ben Ludlow to talk about the latest stories from the poker world, including a discussion on the future of poker following the failure of a provision that would've mitigated the concerning gambling tax implications of the Big Beautiful Bill. Is there still time to turn things around?

The trio then discusses some of Monarch's recent seven-figure heads-up matches, Phil Hellmuth issuing a $1,000,000 challenge, and recent tournament winners from the 888poker LIVE London, including Gang Wang, Aaron Barone, and Vivian Saliba.

Chad then sits down with the winner of PokerNews' World Tournament of Slots (WTOS) giveaway. Find out who will be headed to the Bahamas in October, where they'll have a shot at a million bucks and the opportunity to meet reigning World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.

Finally, Chad reveals the latest code word for this year's NAPT Gold Pass giveaway valued at $10,000! There are not many up for grabs this year, so you won't want to miss out on this limited opportunity to win one just by listening to the PokerNews Podcast and MSPT Podcast Presented By PokerNews.

A new PokerNews Podcast drops every Thursday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!

Time Stamps
*Time | Topic*
00:00 | Welcome to the show
00:48 | The future of poker amid Big Beautiful Bill provision failure
12:25 | Monarch takes on Limitless & Foxen
15:43 | Video: Foxen puts Monarch to the test
20:08 | Hellmuth offers $1 million poker cash game challenge
22:40 | Hellmuth's cash game statistics
26:10 | World Tournament of Slots giveaway winner
35:00 | Win a Silver Pass to 2025 NAPT Las Vegas
36:20 | Gang Wang wins 888poker LIVE London Main Event
37:52 | Aaron Barone wins 888poker LIVE London Ambassador Event
38:10 | Vivian Saliba takes down £550 Big Shot
39:20 | What nationalities are crushing poker nowadays?
42:00 | Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT)
43:40 | 888poker XL Autumn Series runs Sept. 21-29