Daniel Negreanu, perhaps the most famous face in poker, has signed a new deal with GGPoker in what his agent calls “a solid indicator of industry health”.
We’ve had a busy few months executing poker player sponsorship deals. Here are 7 significant deals we’ve recently closed: @RealKidPoker 🤝 @GGPoker extension pic.twitter.com/69mR9SI4VG
— Brian Balsbaugh (@Balsbaugh) April 8, 2025
DNegs has been an ambassador for the market-leading online poker site since 2019, helping it rise from an Asian-focused platform to a global brand.
Prior to his GGPoker appointment, Negreanu’s was a PokerStars-sponsored pro for 12 years, alongside the likes of Chris Moneymaker (who now represents ACR). Previously he had a short-lived stint with Poker Mountain.
News of his new contract, though missing specifics such as length or $$$ involved, comes just weeks after Negreanu bagged two victories and numerous other strong showings on the PokerGO Tour.
Head of TeamGG
Negreanu’s GGPoker deal extension sees him top the 25 players currently under GGTeam sponsorship. Alongside him are the likes of former wunderkind Fedor Holz, chess streamer Alexandra Botez, HCL reg Andy Stacks, highstakes pro Tony Lin and popular poker streamers AllinPav and Kevin Martin.
His agent, Brian Balsbaugh – an industry stalwart for two decades – announced Negreanu’s deal and several others as a sign of a healthy industry.
“Over the past 20 years it’s clear that poker player sponsorship is a solid indicator of industry health. Nice to see significant opportunities returning for US based players.”
His roster of poker players at Poker Royalty includes Kristen Foxen, Phil Hellmuth, Jason Koon, Johnny Chan, Brain Rast and Caitlin Comeskey, all of whom have recently signed deals.
Foxen, inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame (WiPHoF) last year, is the new face of Asian-facing site WePoker. As pointed out elsewhere, Kristen’s photo looks to have been touched up, perhaps to reflect her new market.
Other recent deals shared by Balsbaugh include:
Phil Hellmuth – BetRivers.com
Jason Koon – Team PokerStars
Johnny Chan – ePoker
Brain Rast – PhenomPokerApp
Caitlin Comeskey – Team PokerStars
Amusingly, back in 2005 when Balsbaugh decided he would switch from golf clients to the poker world, he didn’t even know the rules of the game. A spur of the moment decision led to him representing the biggest names in the game.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” Balsbaugh told ESPN in an historic interview. “If I came in six months before, I would have given up.”
Among Balsbaugh’s other clients over the years have included Doyle Brunson, Patrik Antonius, Erick Lindgren, and Scotty Nguyen.
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