In iGaming, relying on a single product is risky, and one-vertical operators are playing short-term poker. The smart money is at least on two: poker + sports betting, or three where possible, with casino games to generate more revenue. Poker gives you sticky, year-round traffic and brings consistency, while sports betting brings easy acquisition, excitement and peak moments. Together, they balance volatility, boost retention, and send LTV and loyalty through the roof.
EvenBet Gaming is already building these synergies — turnkey solutions to integrate both verticals seamlessly and have them running side-by-side. Operators get to diversify revenue, run smarter promos, and deliver tailored player experiences across channels. In this article, we will share more insights about the benefits of working with this cross-marketing approach.
“At EvenBet Gaming, we see online poker as a part of the operator’s ecosystem. It reflects the changes in the players’ behaviour: until recently, the segmentation between verticals was pronounced. There were three different groups of sports bettors, casino players, and poker players. Now there’s no divide: the players are constantly moving between these verticals,” explains Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO of the company.
Advantages of Multi-Vertical Projects
You know that feeling when your poker room goes quiet during the World Cup because everyone’s watching football? That’s exactly why so many operators run both verticals. Let’s take a look at what actually happens when you combine poker with sports betting.
The revenue story writes itself. Your poker tables keep grinding out rake regardless of the sporting calendar, same as always. Meanwhile, sports betting brings the spikes: your sportsbook explodes when Liverpool meets Real Madrid, then doubles down during the Euros. Together, they smooth out the graph — different rhythms, complementary cashflows. Plus, different markets respond to different products because geography matters. Eastern European players love their poker, UK punters prefer sports. Why choose when you can have both?
Player economics also shift fundamentally. Cross-vertical users aren’t just slightly better, but significantly more valuable. Retention can jump by 40-60% compared to players who stick to one product. These players deposit more often (we’re talking 2.5 times more frequently) and their sessions run 35% longer when they bounce between poker and sports. For CFOs, this translates directly: higher LTV, lower acquisition cost per revenue pound, better unit economics across the board.
Cross-selling isn’t rocket science, but it works. A single acquisition brings potential value across multiple products. Drop a €15 sports bonus in a poker player’s account during the Champions League. Give your football punters tournament tickets when they’re waiting for kick-off. Run a World Cup predictor league with a live poker tournament package as the prize. These are genuine value adds that make sense to players. As a result, your marketing spend works harder because you’re not selling one product, but an entertainment ecosystem.
“Sports betting is a natural acquisition tool due to the high sports visibility in mass media, and brands are using famous brand ambassadors, influencers to build even more recognition. Online poker provides unique retention tools. Every vertical takes its niche.
This evolution defines the product strategy of EvenBet Gaming as well. Seeing how poker works in the multivertical projects, we are constantly considering developing new games and their variations that could play a similar role, increasing the potential to retain players. We don’t aim to develop a lot of games that would generate money in the same way casino games do; we create more games and tools to improve retention,” says Dmitry Starostenkov.
Bottom line: operators who run both verticals aren’t just diversifying or following trends. They’re building businesses that understand how real players actually behave.
Integration Features for Poker and Sports Betting
It’s important to note that the promise of poker + sportsbook integration only pays off if execution is flawless, because if players hit friction, they bounce. Alternatively, a unified experience means players don’t even notice they’re moving between products. That’s why single wallets, one-time KYC, and unified UI/UX aren’t “nice-to-haves”, they’re survival tools.
Behind the curtain, the backend is doing the heavy lifting: journey mapping, predictive targeting, and risk management systems ensure operators know exactly when and how to nudge players between verticals. Add fraud control and responsible gambling tools, and you’ve got a system that scales safely.
Monetisation models get smarter too. Operators can offer tiered RevShare, vertical-specific splits (50% poker / 40% sportsbook), and CPA models tied to qualified cross-engagers. Hybrid and sub-affiliate models stack even more flexibility on top.
Ultimately, cross-vertical integration is more than a back-office upgrade. With the right APIs, business intelligence tools, and global payment options, it will help your platform grow into a huge ecosystem. And that means higher LTV, stronger engagement, and more predictable revenue.
Targeting and Traffic Acquisition
Player acquisition in a multi-vertical setting with poker and sports betting isn’t just about loud ad campaigns. Because flashy promos grab eyeballs, but smart funnels keep wallets open. So the funnels must feel natural and be filled with content that educates as much as it entertains. Such promotions will speak directly to players already bouncing between two worlds.
Hybrid formats will be your best bet. Fantasy betting leagues mimic poker’s tournament model. Prop bet tournaments add poker-style buy-ins to sports predictions. Even live dealer sports games where card mechanics meet real-world matches. Content is another trust-builder:
- Tutorials on bankroll management across poker + sports.
- Stats-driven guides where hand ranges meet football odds.
- Live blogs, highlight reels, and crossover breakdowns.
- Interactive tools like odds calculators, probability trackers also create a sticky content ecosystem.
Working with influencer and ambassador partnerships is just like shouting in a megaphone — they hugely expand your reach. Athletes who play poker, Twitch streamers shifting between games and betting, and podcasters who unite the two audiences all help break silos and drive engagement.
Traffic closes the loop. SEO, PPC, and affiliate campaigns drive players in, while segmentation through email marketing ensures each player gets tailored offers that nudge them into the other vertical.
Regulatory Aspects and Security
The bigger the platform, the bigger the compliance bill, plus running poker and sportsbook together means tackling two regulatory frameworks at once, since the legislation between the verticals may differ within the same country.
First stop: licences. Poker and sports betting rarely share the same playbook: poker and sports betting often fall under different sets of rules, which vary across jurisdictions. You have age limits and game type restrictions, so staying market-specific is the only way to stay afloat.
Responsible gaming also must cover both verticals. A single self-exclusion switch that locks players out of both poker and sportsbook. Plus shared deposit limits that stop double-spending and reality checks that span across the platform. If one vertical feels safer than the other, trust collapses.
Security is your silent deal-maker. Collusion detection with AI keeps poker fair, while sports integrity monitoring helps prevent match-fixing. Both depend on robust data protection standards, with GDPR compliance at the core of unified player profiles. Fail here, and you don’t just lose players — you lose the licence.
All in all, compliance tech is the operator’s best friend. Automated reporting, third-party audits, real-time updates — these tools don’t just keep regulators happy, they keep brands defensible. In iGaming, trust is a currency, and compliance is how you mint it.
Future Trends and Opportunities
The crossover of poker and sports betting is just the beginning. AI, blockchain, and crypto are reshaping how players interact, while VR might fuse poker tables with live sports feeds. Personalised offers, crypto transactions, and immersive hybrid rooms could be mainstream sooner than you think.
Beyond traditional sportsbook games, esports is emerging as a natural third vertical in this system. Skill-based betting draws on poker’s strategy, while social betting communities mirror poker-room dynamics, keeping players engaged across platforms.
Forecasts point to growth: multi-vertical platforms will expand their share of the iGaming market, and early movers will win. Platforms that embrace tech, anticipate regulation, and cross-integrate verticals will grab market share while others play catch-up.
Strategic Advantages in Action
The case for multi-vertical platforms isn’t built on assumptions. Proof beats theory: wherever poker and sports betting run side by side, engagement widens, retention strengthens, and revenue smooths out. It’s not a guess — it’s a market pattern. The engine behind it? Infrastructure. With tools like EvenBet Gaming’s single-wallet systems, unified KYC, and consistent UX, players transition smoothly across verticals. That fluid motion means longer sessions, more deposits, and sturdier business models.
Operators are blending loyalty systems across verticals, designing poker tournaments with sports themes, and running satellites that connect directly to betting events. Social communities amplify engagement by uniting players under one ecosystem. All these are growth factors for iGaming brands. And the more companies adopt this cross-vertical model, the faster the overall integration of its benefits will be.
