GameStop expands Pokémon TCG gambling service to the public

GameStop has announced that it will expand its digital Power Packs program and make a gambling service for Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) available to the general public. The new service launches on April 15, 2026.

Introduction to Power Packs

GameStop’s Power Packs service first launched in early 2025 and offered a physical version of trading card packs. A partnership with PSA, a company specializing in collectibles authentication, laid the groundwork for this expansion into digital gambling. In July 2025, a digital version of Power Packs was introduced in beta, giving customers the chance to gamble on six different tiers of PSA-graded cards, ranging from $25 for the 'Starter' tier to $2,500 for the 'Lunar' tier.

The gambling mechanic

Customers can choose to have their winning cards shipped to them or sell them back to GameStop through the PSA Vault. The value of the cards inside Power Packs can vary widely. GameStop claims that a $2,500 Lunar pack offers a chance to win a PSA 10 Celebi #145 from the Pokémon Skyridge TCG set, with an estimated value of $31,332. However, the Power Packs website also states that the chance of winning a card worth more than $2,500 is only 29.4 percent.

Criticism and response

The announcement has drawn mixed reactions, especially on social media platforms like X, where enthusiastic responses from crypto investors have been prominent. Critics, however, point out that the competitive side of Pokémon TCG is fundamentally about playing the game with the cards, rather than the gambling GameStop is promoting. There are concerns that this development could change the nature of Pokémon TCG collecting programs, with gambling playing a more prominent role.

The introduction of this gambling service by GameStop marks a major shift in how Pokémon TCG collecting and trading are approached, with potential consequences for both the business model and the community.