One of the world’s most prestigious poker tournaments, the Aussie Millions, returns to Crown Melbourne in 2026 for the first time in six years. IAG speaks with Crown’s gaming team to find out why now is the right time to bring the Aussie Millions back, what players from across Asia can expect and why the event holds such significance for the company.
Six years after it last hosted the event in early 2020, the Aussie Millions will finally return to Crown Melbourne this year with a series the company hopes will firmly reestablish its presence on the international poker map.
Once considered to be in the top-tier of tournament series globally, both in terms of prestige and the overall player experience, its rebirth represents not only a highly anticipated addition to the poker schedule but the culmination of Crown’s own remediation process in the wake of the infamous Bergin and Finkelstein inquiries into its conduct.
Crown won its Melbourne and Sydney licenses back in 2024 and its Perth license in 2025, the year it returned to profitability on the back of refreshed and revamped casino and non-gaming offerings, but the return of the Aussie Millions signals the company’s intention to reestablish its standing on the global stage.
“It’s been overwhelming the number of requests we’ve had from all types of guests who come in and ask about poker and ask about the Aussie Millions,” explains Crown’s Executive General Manager of Casino Operations, Harold Tsakmaklis.
“Why now? Because now is the right time for us to be able to host it and do a job that will meet expectations and not harm the event.
“What we didn’t want to do is bring the Aussie Millions back too early as we were going through remediation and the changes to our business model that needed implementing after the Royal Commission. We didn’t want to take that risk and damage the reputation of the event. I feel like now is the time we can do it.”
The 2026 Aussie Millions will run from 24 April to 10 May, comprising 18 events headlined by the AU$10,600 (US$7,090) buy-in Main Event commencing on 4 May. Buy-ins across the series range from AU$1,500 (US$1,000) up to the $25K Challenge with its AU$25,000 (US$16,720) buy-in.
Historically attracting the very best poker talent from around the world, past winners of the Aussie Millions Main Event include renowned British sports gambler and owner of English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, Tony Bloom; New Zealand’s Lee Nelson; high stakes poker legend Gus Hansen; and American Bryn Kenney. The event was also a regular playground for the likes of Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Patrik Antonius, Tom Dwan, Erik Seidel and Australia’s own 2005 WSOP Main Event Winner Joe Hachem.
“Erik Seidel never missed one and there’s a reason for that,” recounts Daniel Trubiano, Crown’s Table Games Casino Manager.
“The Aussie millions was always known to be one of the best tournaments around the world. Obviously the World Series of Poker gets 10,000 players, but in terms of a pure poker-player specific tournament, it was the best run tournament bar none – and I think that’s what players saw. That’s certainly what the international players saw: how well executed it was operationally, the engagement of our staff and the level of service our team members gave to the players. That’s why they kept returning.
“And I think that is what’s going to happen now. I think we’re going to execute a really well-run tournament that we can build upon year on year.”
With Crown looking to attract players from across the globe – and specifically the Asia-Pacific region – the Aussie Millions is also seen as an opportunity to showcase the wider Crown Melbourne resort, which has undergone quite the facelift over the past two years. New carpet, improved sightlines and refreshed private gaming rooms have transformed the property’s broader gaming offering, while new non-gaming attractions include relaxed California-style bar and eatery Marmont, located alongside the exterior Riverwalk, and modern Indian restaurant Kolkata Cricket Club. Other innovative dining concepts are said to be on the way alongside a revamped 1,200-seat theater, due to open later this year.
For players across Asia used to local poker tours such as the Asian Poker Tour (APT) and Asia-Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), the Aussie Millions will – Crown promises – take the tournament experience to a whole new level.
“They will see a new standard, a real point of difference compared with what they are used to,” Tsakmaklis says.
“In terms of F&B opportunities, we currently have three new pop-ups going up including a Japanese bar downstairs that is sponsored by Asahi. There is Piper’s Playhouse, which is a jazz cabaret show, and [Middle East-inspired] Layal shisha bar right near the poker room, so there is plenty of entertainment after hours.
“Plus, we’ve got a few surprises in regard to some celebrities and ambassadors joining the event – not to mention some pretty decent prize money for the Aussie Millions itself and a great tournament director who will manage the program.”
IAG can confirm that Danny McDonagh, long associated with the Aussie Millions in its previous life and more recently linked with the World Poker Tour’s events across Asia-Pacific, has signed on to return to Crown Melbourne for the series.
This year will also see the Aussie Millions take place in Crown’s new poker room for the very first time, having last year relocated from its former basement-level home to a bright and airy space on Level 1.
“Level one is going to be vastly different to other years, because we can actually capture the poker audience on one whole level,” Tsakmaklis continues. “It is going to be a lot more efficient, and this is where players will notice the difference.”
That Crown is delving headfirst into the Aussie Millions is also notable from a strategic viewpoint, given the challenges that operating a sustainable poker offering presents – particularly in Australia where the wages of dealers and other key staff are considerably higher than in other parts of the world.
Poker is not, therefore, a significant driver of direct gaming revenues in the same way as traditional casino games like baccarat and blackjack – but it does have its advantages.
“Poker gives us an opportunity to let the public know that we’re back in business as an entertainment complex,” Tsakmaklis offers.
“It wasn’t so long ago that, in terms of media, there wasn’t anything positive being written about Crown, but we’ve gone through a lot of change since then in the way we operate, our responsibilities in regard to responsible gaming and responsible serving of alcohol, and just the way that we run our business in a more regulated manner.
“The good thing is that now when we are talking about Crown and Crown Melbourne, there are a lot of good stories coming out – not only about us as an organization but about this great entertainment complex that is more than just gaming.
“In terms of the poker players, although it’s a small yield to the casino in regard to revenue, it’s still a great opportunity for us to sell our hotel rooms, our bars, our restaurants. The poker crowd is great footfall, and they can become great ambassadors, especially if they see a well-run event. So, it’s important for us to do this because we’re investing in this market.
“We’re not necessarily in the poker business, but we’re committed to running a professional poker room and professional, world-renowned, world-class poker events.
“The other interesting thing is that, now that we have mandatory carded play – poker players have never really had to join the membership program in the past – we can actually start tracking and see how they are interacting across the whole business.
“I think we’ll get some better results there in regard to what it actually means for us as a property – and it doesn’t necessarily have to be gaming. If this helps us grow our business, our non-gaming business, then that’s a huge win for us as an organization.”
Adds Trubiano, “I think we’re very comfortable with where we’re at; the [player] numbers are tracking ahead of where we want them to be and it’s looking positive from our side on what we want to achieve.
“I think it’s going to be a great event, and I think when the players see it they will understand why now was the right time to bring the Aussie Millions back.”
