Bryn Kenney Sues GGPoker for Tens of Millions, Alleging Cheating Cover-Up

High-stakes poker professional Bryn Kenney is suing GGPoker parent NSUS Group and CEO Mansoo “Michael” Kim for tens of millions of dollars, alleging he was denied a promised 5% equity stake and millions in affiliate commissions after helping build the platform.

In a first amended complaint filed Wednesday, Oct. 14, in U.S. District Court in Nevada, Kenney alleges GGPoker CEO Mansoo “Michael” Kim reneged on two oral agreements reached in 2018: one granting Kenney recurring commissions on recruited players, and another promising a 5% equity stake in what grew to become the world’s largest online poker operator.

The lawsuit also alleges that Kim concealed security failures, knew players were cheating, and later blamed Kenney for cheating that occurred on the platform.

Kenney, the world’s most successful tournament player by gross earnings, with almost $91 million, says Kim recruited him when GGPoker was a relatively small operator struggling to win players’ trust.

According to the complaint, as well as being a brand ambassador, Kenney built the site’s high-roller tournaments and recruited thousands of players and agents, while working approximately 12 hours a day, seven days a week, to expand the business.

Commission Reductions and Equity Dispute

The arrangement initially proved lucrative, with Kenney generating approximately $5 million in commission revenue in 2019.

However, as GGPoker expanded, the company allegedly began removing players from Kenney’s affiliate tracking system, applying unauthorized fee deductions, and contacting his sub-agents directly to transfer accounts to house control.

Kenney claims his annual commission income dropped by more than $3 million by 2025 compared to his inaugural year under the agreement, leaving him owed tens of millions in unpaid affiliate revenue.

The filing asserts Kim never delivered the agreed-upon 5% equity stake despite Kenney fulfilling his operational duties.

The equity claim gained heightened significance in 2024 when GGPoker parent company NSUS Group acquired the World Series of Poker (WSOP) brand from Caesars Entertainment for $500 million.

Kenney contends his contributions were instrumental in enabling that transaction, but his claimed equity interest was ignored.

Cheating Allegations and Financial Guarantees

The lawsuit asserts Kim assured Kenney that GGPoker maintained robust security teams and anti-cheating protocols. Kenney claims Kim was aware of systemic cheating on the platform and failed to act, while publicly suggesting the integrity issues occurred in player pools overseen by Kenney.

Kenney also alleges he personally guaranteed bankrolls for high-stakes players he onboarded. In one instance, Kenney claims he paid $1 million of his own funds after Kim failed to disburse $6 million owed to players.

Additionally, the complaint alleges Kim targeted U.S. players, including Nevada residents, and facilitated platform access without a virtual private network (VPN) for users transacting in cryptocurrency.

Kenney is suing Kim, Canadian parent entity NSUS Group Inc., and Irish affiliate NSUS Limited for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, and related claims. He seeks compensatory and punitive damages, along with a court-ordered accounting of corporate records.

Kim filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit Sept. 23, with a court hearing scheduled for Nov. 12. None of the allegations has been proven in court.