Poker pro Gal Yifrach won the 2025 PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Las Vegas Main Event on November 12. That wouldn’t be big news except that Yifrach is currently under federal indictment for operating an illegal gambling business and laundering its proceeds. His victory is reigniting concern about the poker world’s tolerance for legally entangled players.

Gal Yifrach plays in the annual Lucky Hearts Poker Open at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. in 2022. (Image: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino)

Yifrach, 39, outlasted a field of 738 entrants at Resorts World Las Vegas to claim $543,025, his largest career score. The win pushes his lifetime tournament earnings to 2.93 million. But it also comes while he faces two felony charges stemming from a federal case first filed in 2022 and expanded in 2025.

The Accusations

Prosecutors allege that Yifrach helped run a video slot machine ring across California and laundered the proceeds through casino chip exchanges, real estate purchases and structured bank deposits.

The alleged gambling operation reportedly began in 2018 — the same year Yifrach won a World Series of Poker bracelet in a $3,000 six-max event for $461,798. He added another $495,305 with a third-place finish in a $50,000 WSOP event in 2021.

Yifrach’s presence on high-stakes livestreams like “Live at the Bike” and “Hustler Casino Live” made him a regular fixture in Southern California’s poker scene.

But the optics of an indicted gambler winning a major televised tournament have stirred unease. The poker community has long struggled with how — or whether — to police players facing criminal charges.

Unlike professional sports leagues, poker lacks a centralized governing body with disciplinary authority. Tournament organizers typically defer to legal outcomes, meaning players under indictment or investigation are free to compete unless convicted or banned by venue policy.

Not the First

As you can see by the table below, this is not the first time in recent memory that a player under indictment has competed in a major poker tournament.

The Yifrach case is different in scope and severity, however. He faces up to 20 years in prison and $500,000 in fines if convicted. A superseding indictment filed in January 2025 alleges that his illegal gambling operation continued for 16 months after the original charges were filed — raising questions about how tournament winnings and buy-ins may have intersected with illicit funds through July 2023.

So far, PokerStars (which owns and operates NAPT) has not commented on Yifrach’s eligibility or whether future NAPT events will implement vetting protocols.

Industry insiders say the decentralized nature of poker makes enforcement difficult. Casinos and tours can bar players at their discretion, but there’s no universal blacklist or ethics committee. Some have called for a registry of banned or indicted players, but legal and privacy concerns have stalled progress.

For now, Yifrach remains free on bail and continues to compete. His victory underscores a persistent tension in poker: the game’s openness to all comers — including those who trade on an outlaw image — versus its desire for legitimacy in an era of growing scrutiny.

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