WSOP staff are not required to be vaccinated

Caesars cannot shake off controversy this year as it turns out the WSOP will only require players to be vaccinated, not staff.

If you spent any time on poker Twitter over the weekend, you will have witnessed one of the most divisive periods ever after the news that the WSOP will require players to be vaccinated. While the move was mostly applauded, a lot of players were angry at the decision and some have said they are boycotting the series. 

The bumpy ride for the WSOP this year continues after it has been revealed that staff and dealers during the series will not have the same mandatory vaccination requirement. 

Yesterday PokerNews got a statement from the WSOP on this subject:

As with all Caesars Entertainment Team Members, WSOP Team Members are strongly encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Caesars is committed to making vaccination easy and accessible for all Team Members. Additionally, the Company is providing significant incentives for Team Members who choose to be vaccinated.

Dealers have more contacts than players

For players whom vaccination status was the deciding factor on whether to go to the WSOP this year, this will once again put their decision in doubt. 

There are more players than dealers, but dealers regularly move between tables. The number of contacts a dealer has in a day is significantly larger than the players, who largely will stay sat in the same seat most of the day. 

There are already rumours that the WSOP is facing the prospect of a dealer shortage this year, much like in many industries right now where there are skill shortages as the world begins to reopen again. If a significant number of dealers are forced to self isolate it could be very disruptive for the series. 

We are just 30 days from the start of the World Series of Poker and it looks like it is going to continue to be a controversial affair in the build up and all the way through it. 

Does this change your WSOP plans? Let us know in the comments: