ZIPAIR Tokyo Will Fly Japanese Poker Enthusiasts Directly to Las Vegas for WSOP

^{ZIPAIR Tokyo is the latest airline to offer International nonstop flights to and from Las Vegas. (Photo: Trevisan Aviation Images / Alamy)}

Japanese poker fans will have a direct path to Las Vegas for this year's World Series of Poker (WSOP) thanks to a partnership with ZIPAIR Tokyo, JALPAK, and Japanese poker personality Masato Yokosawa. 

ZIPAIR Tokyo is launching a special charter flight directly from Tokyo Narita Airport to Harry Reid International Airport, timed to coincide with some of the tournament dates. Normally, getting between two cities requires long connecting flights. This charter is nonstop and part of a broader Las Vegas tour package.

The flight and package will allow almost 300 Japanese poker fans to enjoy a week-long Vegas experience for specific WSOP tournaments. This is the latest International offering that should help fuel Vegas tourism, following the recent additions of Air France from Paris and Qantas from Sydney, Australia.

The WSOP will be held again at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas this year from May 26 to July 13. The charter package covers a specific window of that schedule, giving participants access to some of the event's most popular mid-tournament dates.

What’s Included in the Travel Package

The outgoing flight will depart Tokyo in the afternoon on June 22 and arrive in Las Vegas the next morning. Participants will spend approximately six days in Las Vegas before departing on the night of June 27, arriving back in Japan on June 28.

Travelers will fly to Vegas on a Dreamliner Boeing 787-8 aircraft for both trips. Tickets for the flight will only be sold through travel agencies as part of tour packages and will not be available on ZIPAIR’s website.

The flights are part of an eight-day Vegas tour through POKER ROOM starting at 379,000 yen (approximately $2,422) for up to 280 participants. It's designed to be a full Las Vegas poker experience, not just transportation.

During the flight, participants can take part in a poker event that allows up to 300 players to compete simultaneously. Upon arrival, the group will be welcomed with a party hosted by Yokosawa at Ellis Island Casino after arriving in Vegas just off the Strip. Each participant also receives travel goods and a Las Vegas guidebook to help navigate the city.

Three specific WSOP events are highlighted as part of the package for those who want to participate: the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout on June 23, the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Tag Team event on June 24, and the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Ladies' Championship on June 25.

Japan is a Major Market for WSOP

Japan is one of the WSOP's most significant international markets, with the WSOP now running for 56 years and having welcomed 159,315 players over that span. Japan consistently ranks among the top countries represented in the field each year, with 217 Japanese players participating in last year's event.

Masato Yokosawa's involvement is what gives this package its appeal in the country. He is one of the most recognized poker figures in Japan, with over one million YouTube subscribers on his channel "Yokosawa of the World" and more than $4.1 million in career live earnings. He won the World Poker Tour Korea Main Event in 2013, took home the Global Poker Award for Poker Personality in 2022, and finished 45th in the 2023 WSOP Main Event for $188,400.

For his fans and Japanese poker enthusiasts, it's an opportunity to play with him on a plane and to also visit Vegas during the world’s biggest poker tournaments.

The branded travel package is a smart play for an airline looking to capture demand that already exists. Japanese players have obviously been traveling to Las Vegas for the WSOP independently for years. ZIPAIR and Yokosawa are simply building the infrastructure around that demand and turning a trip into a full-branded event.