Poker Players Donate $1.5 Million to Haiti Relief Efforts

Time and time again, the poker community has shown its generosity when it comes to charitable donations. Charity poker tournaments are run virtually every week in casinos all around the world, as both recreational players and pros alike consistently give to worthy causes.

After a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti earlier this month, more than a few poker players wanted to know what they could to help. Several major poker sites — including PokerStars, Full Tilt, Cake Poker, DoylesRoom, UB, Absolute Poker, and Bodog — were quick to provide their players an easy way to contribute, and they even were willing to put in a few dollars of their own.

PokerStars, Full Tilt, and Cake all specifically announced they would match all player donations made on their sites. According to the Poker Players Alliance, more than 50,000 players donated to the cause, raising over $760,000. With the sites’ matching donations, that means more than $1.5 million will be given to Haiti relief efforts from the poker community.

It’s a staggering total, even when compared to other sport companies or leagues. The National Hockey League donated $100,000 to UNICEF, while Major League Baseball pitched in $1 million for Haiti relief efforts. Many individual players and teams donated more on top of that, and the National Football League led the way in terms of sports giving, pledging $2.5 million to the cause.

“Like the rest of the world, the poker community is eager to do anything it can to aid Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake,” said former U.S. senator and the current chairman of the PPA, Alfonse D’Amato. “I applaud PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Cake Poker for providing poker players across the globe an easy way to make a contribution.”

Donations on the site were distributed to the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and UNICEF.

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