2025 was an incredible year for poker with several landmark acquisitions and partnerships setting the stage for a new era in poker. From GGPoker’s historic acquisition of the WSOP to the acquisitions of Spartan Poker and PokerBaazi in India, the poker industry saw several milestone moments. Here is a quick look at the major poker partnerships and deals in 2024.
GGPoker Buys World Series of Poker In Historic $500 Million Deal
This was undoubtedly the biggest story of 2024. In August, the US Casino operator Caesars Entertainment announced the sale of its iconic WSOP brand to NSUS Group Inc., the parent company of GGPoker. The deal was finalized for a historic $500 million, more than ten times Harrah’s paid out for the WSOP brand over the last two decades. This game-changing deal over the course of a five-year purchase. It included a $250 million cash transaction and a $250 million to be paid in the next five years. Despite the change in ownership, Caesars will continue to host the annual WSOP live series at its Las Vegas casinos for the next 20 years, ensuring that the iconic WSOP series remains at its traditional home.
GGPoker Teams Up With PokerArabia To Bring WSOP To the Middle East
A landmark partnership between GGPoker and PokerArabia marked another historic development in the poker industry. In August, GGPoker collaborated with Lebanese poker operator PokerArabia to migrate PokerArabia’s users in Lebanon to GGPoker’s global network.
Launched alongside BetArabia in 2022, PokerArabia is the only government-licensed online poker room in the Middle East. This merger aims to provide Lebanese players with access to more games, larger tournaments, and bigger payouts. Check out the detailed story HERE!
PokerStars Inks Deal To Open Poker Room At Casinò di Campione
In a strategic move, PokerStars inked a deal with Italy’s Casinò di Campione spa – Società Benefit to set up a branded poker room and run live poker events at the casino. The online poker giant signed an agreement with Sisal, an Italian gaming operator, which is also part of Flutter – the parent company of PokerStars. The landmark deal took place in September, enabling PokerStars to open a poker room in Casino di Campione located in the Italian province of Como near Lake Lugano. The idea is to promote poker in Europe and expand poker’s global reach.
Major Partnerships and Deals In The Indian Poker Industry
Over to India, we saw some milestone developments in India’s poker industry. Here is a quick look at the major poker partnerships and deals.
OneVerse Unveils $120M Investment Plan for M&A In RMG Sector
In a historic development for India’s poker industry in 2024, OneVerse, a leading player in the metaverse and gaming space, unveiled a whopping $120 million investment plan for mergers and acquisitions (M & A) targeting major operators across poker, rummy and fantasy gaming. The company acquired several big poker platforms, including Spartan Poker, Calling Station, and PokerSaint, marking a new era for the Indian poker industry.
Nazara Makes Biggest Bet Of INR 982 Cr In Pokerbaazi’s Parent Company
Listed gaming company Nazara inked a landmark deal to acquire a 47.7% stake in Moonshine Technology, the parent company of online poker platform Pokerbaazi for a hefty INR 831.5 Crores. Of the INR 831.5 Crores, Nazara Technologies agreed to pay INR 592.26 Crores in cash and the remaining amount worth INR 239.25 Crores to pay via a share swap through issuance of fully paid-up equity shares of the company.
Besides the 831.5 Crores, Nazara Technologies’s board also agreed to an additional equity infusion of up to INR 150 Crores into MTPL through the issuance of compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS). The total investment is estimated to be a thousand crores with a staggering INR 982 crore investment – the biggest bet ever made by Nazara on any company.
WPT Global Sponsors Triton Poker’s SHR Series Marking New Era For High Stakes Poker
In a major development for the high-stakes poker scene in 2024, WPT Global partnered with Triton Poker as the official sponsor of the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series. The partnership marked a new era of growth for the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series. This aimed to provide their players with a pathway to Triton Poker events, hosting exclusive $25K buy-in “WPT GLOBAL SLAM” at every Super High Roller Series stop.
The idea was to elevate the mind sport while welcoming new talent to shine and rise thereby expanding access to players across the globe.
Keep following PokerProNews for more such flashback stories of 2024. Follow us on our social media platforms –Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube for all the interesting stories and updates from the world of poker!
