Broadway Bets

Monday, May 18
6:30 pm Cocktails & Food
7:30 pm Tournament begins
The Edison Ballroom
240 West 47th Street, NYC

A glittering mix of Broadway insiders and powerhouse companies from across entertainment and beyond will ante up for a night of competitive cards and industry buzz at Broadway Bets.

This year, the stakes will soar as multiple Tony Award and Olivier Award-winning producer and philanthropist Thomas S. Perakos goes all-in as the first-ever presenting sponsor of Broadway Bets, making a pioneering leadership commitment of more than $1 million over the next five years to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. 

Broadway Bets moves to New York City’s historic Edison Ballroom. Doors will open at 6:30 pm with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by the 7:30 pm tournament kickoff. Every Broadway Bets ticketing level includes a delectable menu from Chopped champion Mina Newman and an open bar.

As presenting sponsor, Perakos leads a royal flush of companies already set to participate in Broadway’s official game night.

Taking their place as “Full House” table sponsors this year are 321 Theatrical Management, The Araca Group, Foresight Theatrical, John Gore Organization (Broadway Across America, Broadway.com), The Nederlander Organization, Satisfi Labs and Broadw.ai, No Guarantees and Astor Place Theatre, PRG, The Road Company, RCI Theatricals, The Shubert Organization, SpotCo, Sweet Hospitality Group, TodayTix, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Withum. 

Sponsorship opportunities are still available, with more sponsors to be announced in the coming months.

Broadway stars, industry insiders and theater fans alike will come together at Broadway Bets to rub shoulders with the who’s who of Broadway in an electrifying evening of poker. Whether they’re seasoned pros or first-time players, guests will test their poker faces in an exhilarating Texas Hold ’em tournament – all for the chance to claim the coveted title of Broadway Bets champion. 

A limited number of non-tournament party passes offer an expanded insider’s view of the action, complete with cocktails, food, more casino games than ever before and prime opportunities for industry networking.

Perakos’ transformative support, in partnership with The Perakos Family Cares Foundation, will focus on wellness, health care and health insurance, mental health support, counseling and emergency assistance for all members of the Broadway and theater community during their critical times of need. Perakos is a co-producer on a wide-ranging slate of celebrated productions across Broadway and beyond, including the currently running Buena Vista Social Club, Broadway’s upcoming Giant, which won the 2025 Olivier for Best Play, as well as the West End’s Sinatra The Musical, coming this June, among many others.

Broadway Bets’ tournament directors are Mark Shacket, partner at Foresight Theatrical, Brett Sirota, co-founder and partner at The Road Company, and Alex Wolfe, general manager at Foresight Theatrical.

The founding co-chairs are Robert E. Wankel, chairman and CEO of The Shubert Organization and president of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees, and the late Paul Libin, executive vice president emeritus of Jujamcyn Theaters and president emeritus of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees. 

Last year’s edition of Broadway Bets, which raised a record $546,500, found Jeffrey Korn, a partner in the litigation department at law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, facing off at the final table against Audrey Federici, an actor and opera singer. Surrounded by a cheering crowd, Korn bested Federici with a pair of deuces. Across its eight editions, Broadway Bets has raised $2.7 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Broadway Bets is made possible by City National Bank, the official bank of Broadway Bets; United Airlines, the official airline of Broadway Cares; and The New York Times.