Bryn Kenney Sues GGPoker Parent NSUS Group Over Alleged 5% Equity Deal

Bryn Kenney, poker’s all-time money leader, has filed a lawsuit against NSUS Group, the parent company of GGPoker, over an alleged breach of his former endorsement agreement. The complaint centres on a promised 5% equity stake in the business, disputed affiliate commissions and allegations concerning the online poker platform’s anti-cheating measures.

According to Next.io, the lawsuit was filed in a Nevada state court in July before being transferred to federal court in August. A hearing is scheduled for 12 November following a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed last month.

Kenney was among the first ambassadors for GGPoker, signing an endorsement agreement with the online poker operator in 2018. According to his complaint, the relationship was subsequently set to expand beyond the original endorsement arrangement.

Kenney alleges that NSUS Group agreed to provide him with a 5% equity stake in the company, alongside commissions generated by players who registered through his referral links. 

He claims that the agreed terms were not honoured after NSUS Group acquired the World Series of Poker from Caesars Entertainment for $500 million two years ago.

The alleged equity arrangement forms a central part of the dispute between Kenney and his former sponsor. The lawsuit challenges the handling of the agreement and the benefits Kenney says he was promised as part of the expanded relationship.

The complaint also raises concerns about affiliate revenue that Kenney says remains unpaid. He alleges that several practices affected his commissions, including the removal of players he had recruited, deductions from affiliate revenue and reductions in commission rates.

According to Kenney’s estimate, these practices have cost him $3 million. The affiliate-related allegations therefore represent another significant component of the legal dispute, alongside the claimed 5% equity stake.

The case puts the terms of Kenney’s former commercial relationship with GGPoker and NSUS Group at the centre of the proceedings. The allegations concerning equity and affiliate payments remain claims made in the lawsuit.

A further allegation concerns the anti-cheating measures in place at GGPoker. Kenney claims he was deceived about the safeguards operating on the platform after learning that cheating was taking place at its tables.

This aspect of the complaint is notable because Kenney has himself faced cheating allegations connected to GGPoker. Martin Zamani, a former member of Kenney’s poker stable, previously accused him of involvement in some of the most serious forms of cheating on the platform.

The accusations included collusion, ghosting and real-time assistance. Zamani also implicated himself in the allegations, while Kenney strongly denied the claims.

According to the information provided, it appears that GGPoker has taken no action against Kenney in connection with those accusations, suggesting that the operator found no wrongdoing by him. However, the absence of reported action does not, by itself, establish a formal finding on the allegations.

The overlap between Kenney’s allegations concerning GGPoker’s anti-cheating safeguards and the accusations previously levelled against him adds another dimension to the dispute.

The lawsuit against NSUS Group is now proceeding in federal court after being filed in Nevada state court in July and transferred in August. A motion to dismiss was filed last month, and a hearing is scheduled for 12 November before Nevada federal judges.

The proceedings concern Kenney’s alleged entitlement to a 5% equity stake, disputed affiliate commissions that he estimates have cost him $3 million, and his claims about GGPoker’s anti-cheating measures.

The scheduled hearing represents the next stated development in the case. The allegations outlined in the complaint remain allegations, and the supplied information does not establish a final outcome in the dispute between Kenney and NSUS Group.