Tonybet has expanded its Canadian offering with the launch of online poker on October 6, adding a player-versus-player card game to a platform already built around sports betting, live casino, slots and jackpots. The move places poker inside the same account and wallet as Tonybet’s existing products, giving Canadian customers a third major vertical without requiring a separate registration. Powered by Evenbeter Gaming’s poker platform, the launch includes cash games, scheduled tournaments and fast-format Spins. Tonybet positions the addition as a response to clear demand: poker remains one of iGaming’s most recognizable and culturally durable games, with a competitive history stretching from Mississippi riverboats to the World Series of Poker and the online boom triggered by Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 championship run.

Tonybet Adds Poker to Canadian Platform

Tonybet brought poker to its Canadian platform on October 6, integrating the game into an ecosystem that already includes sports betting, live casino and slots. The launch means Canadian players can now access poker through the same account they use for the operator’s other products, rather than moving between separate platforms or wallets.

The addition gives Tonybet a third principal gaming vertical. Its sportsbook remains the core offering, while its casino provides a broad library of slots and live-dealer content. Poker now sits alongside both as a skill-influenced, player-versus-player product—an important structural difference from casino games, where customers compete against the house.

For Tonybet, the strategic logic is straightforward. Poker can deepen engagement among existing customers, extend session time, and create another reason for players to remain within a single account. It also allows the operator to serve customers who may prefer competitive card play over fixed-odds betting or slot-based casino entertainment.

A Game With Deep Cultural Roots

Poker’s appeal is not merely commercial. The game carries one of the longest cultural histories in gambling. It emerged in the saloons and riverboats of the nineteenth-century Mississippi, traveling with the American frontier as variants including the flush, draw and stud developed over time. From there, it spread into card clubs across every continent.

The modern competitive era took shape in 1970, when the World Series of Poker gave the game a global stage in Las Vegas. But poker’s mass-market transformation came later. In 2003, amateur player Chris Moneymaker turned an $86 online satellite entry into a $2.5 million world title, defeating a then-record field of 839 players.

That victory became a defining moment for online poker. It demonstrated that an ordinary player could enter through a low-cost digital qualifier and reach the sport’s highest level. Millions of new players followed Moneymaker online, helping establish poker as a central pillar of the global iGaming industry.

Why Poker Endures

Unlike roulette, blackjack or slots, poker does not depend on a house edge or fixed odds. At its core, it is a contest between players: success depends on reading opponents, managing risk, controlling emotion and making better decisions over time.

That structure explains why poker has survived for more than two centuries in card rooms around the world. It rewards study and discipline, while punishing ego and impulsive play. It also generates narratives—bluffs, comebacks, rivalries and high-stakes finals—that continue to attract devotees from casual kitchen-table games to televised professional tournaments.

For operators, however, poker is also a distinct business model. Revenue is typically generated through rake or tournament fees rather than a mathematical house advantage. That makes liquidity, player traffic and game availability especially important: poker platforms need enough active players to sustain tables, tournaments and prize pools.

What Tonybet Already Offers

Poker did not arrive on an empty platform. Tonybet’s sportsbook covers more than 100 sports, with both pre-match and live in-play markets. Features include cashout and a Bet Builder, with coverage aimed at the competitions Canadian players follow most closely, including hockey, football, basketball, baseball, MMA and esports.

The casino side is similarly extensive. Tonybet offers more than 6,000 titles, spanning slots, live dealer tables, game shows and jackpots. Content comes from more than 1,000 providers, including Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, BGaming and Hacksaw.

All products operate behind a single account and wallet, available on both desktop and mobile. The platform also includes responsible gaming tools across every market, including deposit limits, session reminders, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion options. For high-engagement customers, Tonybet’s VIP programme provides dedicated account managers and tailored promotions.

Three Ways to Play

Tonybet’s poker launch includes several formats designed to accommodate different player preferences and time commitments. The choice of format effectively determines how long a player is likely to remain at the table.

Cash tables allow players to join and leave whenever they choose, making them suitable for flexible, spontaneous play.

Scheduled tournaments require a buy-in and offer a defined prize pool, appealing to players seeking structured competition and larger potential payouts.

Spins compress tournament volatility into a fast, small-field format, targeting players who want rapid sessions and high-variance outcomes.

The offering runs on Evenbeter Gaming’s poker platform, which has powered more than 200 launches across 40 countries. Poker opens directly within the Tonybet site, with full rules available through tonybet.com.

Operator’s Rationale

Tonybet’s product leadership frames the launch as a response to an obvious gap in the Canadian market. According to Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at Tonybet, demand for poker was never in doubt.

“You can’t imagine iGaming in Canada without poker,” Liudvikevich said. “Poker produced world champions, Hall of Famers, and tens of thousands of players with top results to their name. From home games to the biggest tournaments in the world. What’s been missing for our players is the ability to play poker alongside sportsbook and casino in the same account. From October, it’s there.”

The statement reflects a broader trend in iGaming: operators increasingly seek to consolidate betting, casino and poker into one account. The objective is to reduce friction, increase cross-sell opportunities and build a more complete entertainment ecosystem around each customer.