WSOP Orders Justin Bonomo to Remove Pro-Palestine Scarf During $25K Final Table
Justin Bonomo faced potential disqualification from the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event for wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian headdress, during the tournament at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.
Professional poker player Justin Bonomo
With 16 players remaining in the $25K event, officials instructed Bonomo to remove the scarf, citing broadcast restrictions for the televised final table. WSOP later released a statement explaining their distribution platforms don't permit controversial or political garments.
The WSOP rulebook's Section 54d grants organizers complete discretion to ban any apparel they deem objectionable and refuse participation to those who don't comply.
This incident follows controversy over WSOP's decision to host a charity tournament benefiting IDF Widows and Orphans. Bonomo had criticized this decision, calling the IDF a "genocidal terrorist organization." Fellow poker player Mike Matusow strongly opposed Bonomo's stance, suggesting supporters of terrorism should be banned from tournaments.
Similar controversy occurred in 2014 when Oliver Busquet wore a "Free Gaza" T-shirt at the EPT Super High Roller Event in Barcelona, leading PokerStars to revise its dress code policy.
Bonomo, who removed the keffiyeh to continue playing, has advanced to the final table where he'll compete for the $6 million first prize. He later sought to acquire a Palestinian flag for the final table, suggesting the political statement may continue.
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