BoaBet, a casino-first operator, achieved a 150% rake increase by adding a managed poker vertical without hiring a single additional employee.
The story was revealed in a conversation involving Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO of EvenBet Gaming, Gasper Janezic, CEO of WePlay Network, and Antonio La Vigna, Head of Poker at BoaBet.
La Vigna admitted he was the biggest internal skeptic when the idea of launching a poker product was first raised at BoaBet.
His team had deep expertise in slots, sports betting, and casino retention, but poker felt, in his own words, like a completely different universe.
La Vigna’s central concern was what he called the “cost of complexity,” fearing poker would become a significant operational drain on his existing team.
He was specifically worried about hiring a dedicated poker manager, building a specialised support desk, and exposing his casino team to fraud management and tournament mechanics.
Janezic explained that WePlay Network’s approach was designed precisely to remove that burden, describing the product as a plug-and-play revenue engine for casino brands.
He told La Vigna directly: “Don’t build a poker department. We will handle the ecology, the matchmaking, the anti-fraud protocols, and the overall table health.”
Janezic noted that around 80% of WePlay’s network traffic is casino-driven, made up of recreational players seeking entertainment rather than a professional grind.
WePlay uses high-variance game structures, real-time matchmaking controls, and advanced AI-driven anti-fraud tools to protect casual players from being driven out by professionals.
Janezic emphasised that 90% of the network’s revenue comes from cash games, making a balanced and safe environment a commercial priority rather than just a policy choice.
Starostenkov pointed to the underlying numbers as clear validation of the managed infrastructure model adopted by BoaBet and WePlay together.
BoaBet’s active player base expanded by nearly 20%, while the average monthly rake climbed from $38,000 to $60,000 within just a few months of integration.
Starostenkov argued that operators do not need a poker-native audience to succeed commercially if the platform offers access to a shared network lobby with competitive rakeback and guaranteed tournaments.
La Vigna described the most significant internal outcome as “absolute silence,” with no urgent crises, no liquidity escalations, and no frantic internal emails about poker operations.
He explained that when BoaBet wants to run a loyalty campaign, WePlay handles the tournament structures and ticket distribution based on the commercial goal provided.
Starostenkov said La Vigna’s experience of “absolute silence” proves the core thesis that the strongest iGaming business ideas move beyond the traditional gambling playbook entirely.
He argued that operators can no longer afford to maintain heavy, unmanageable software silos when modern infrastructure has already removed the friction between technology and business growth.
La Vigna’s final advice to other operators was straightforward: “Stop looking for complexity where it doesn’t exist. If you pick the right network partner, poker is just another highly profitable game on your site.”
