By Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management

I have been in the gaming industry for more than three decades. In that time, I have seen no shortage of companies claim to be the next big thing. Most of them fade. A few of them deliver. And every once in a while, one comes along that does not just deliver but keeps raising the bar month after month.

Cafrino Gaming is doing exactly that.

In May 2026, Cafrino posted the highest monthly revenue in company history, a 148% year-over-year increase that exceeded even internal projections. For anyone tracking the B2B poker space, that number should command attention. For those of us working alongside Mike Murphy and the Cafrino team every day, it is confirmation of something we have believed for a while now: this company has built something operators genuinely need.

The Product Is Doing the Talking

What makes Cafrino’s growth story so compelling is that it is not built on hype. It is built on operator results. Casino partners integrating Cafrino’s poker technology are seeing nearly a threefold increase in revenue from customers who engage with poker on their platforms. That is not a marketing claim. That is what the data shows when you put a best-in-class poker product in front of real players inside real gaming environments.

When operators see those numbers, the conversation shifts. It stops being about whether to add poker and starts being about how fast they can get it live. That dynamic is fueling Cafrino’s pipeline, and it is why the company continues to add new partners across multiple gaming verticals, including its first sports betting integration, which should be announced in the coming weeks.

NLOP and the Power of the Consumer Brand

Cafrino’s B2B engine gets the headlines, but the company’s consumer brand, National League of Poker, deserves recognition as well. NLOP recently wrapped up Main Event Mania, a multi-stage satellite series that sent nine players to the World Series of Poker and awarded a $10,000 WSOP Main Event seat. That kind of programming creates real excitement and real engagement, and it gives Cafrino something very few B2B providers can offer: a living proof of concept that runs 365 days a year.

When we sit down with operators and show them what NLOP does on the consumer side, it removes the guesswork. They can see the product working, the players engaged, the retention loops in action. That is a powerful sales tool, and it is one reason Cafrino converts conversations into partnerships at the rate it does.

Expanding the Map

As Cafrino’s Chief Commercial Officer and as the leader of SCCG Management, I have a front-row seat to the commercial expansion side of this story, and the momentum is real.

In tribal gaming, we are working with the Navajo Nation to advise a coalition of 18 Arizona tribes exploring future online gaming opportunities. In California, we have established an active partnership with Casino Pauma. Tribal gaming remains one of the most important and underserved segments of the U.S. market, and Cafrino’s compliance-ready, white-label poker solution fits squarely into what tribal operators are looking for as they evaluate digital expansion.

On the international front, SCCG’s growing presence in Latin America is opening doors that did not exist a year ago. We are co-producing a major industry summit in Venezuela later this year, and as regulatory frameworks across the region continue to mature, poker is a natural fit for operators building out their digital portfolios. Cafrino’s technology is positioned to move with those markets as they open.

At SBC Summit Americas this month, our team has been in back-to-back meetings with operators, technology providers, media organizations, and infrastructure partners, all with Cafrino’s solutions as a central part of the conversation. The interest level is the highest I have seen since we expanded this partnership.

What Comes Next

I have worked with well over a hundred companies in this industry. I know what early traction looks like, and I know the difference between a spike and a trajectory. Cafrino is on a trajectory. The 148% year-over-year growth, the record month, the expanding partner base, the operator results – these are not isolated data points. They are the output of a team that has been building the right product, the right way, for more than a decade.

Mike Murphy and John Buckman have assembled a team that understands both the technology and the business of poker at a level that is rare in this market. As their commercial partner, my job is to put their product in front of the right operators in the right markets at the right time. The results we are seeing tell me we are doing that well, and that the best is still ahead.

If you are an operator looking to add a high-engagement, revenue-generating poker product to your platform, whether you are in tribal gaming, regulated iGaming, sports betting, or an emerging international market, I would encourage you to take a serious look at what Cafrino has built. The numbers speak for themselves.

Cafrino Gaming is entering a new phase of commercial expansion, and it starts with leadership.

We’re excited to welcome Stephen A. Crystal as Chief Commercial Officer of Cafrino Gaming, a move that brings one of the most experienced and globally connected leaders in the gaming industry directly into our growth strategy.

With more than three decades at the forefront of gaming innovation, Stephen has played a pivotal role in shaping everything from tribal and riverboat gaming to modern iGaming and sports betting ecosystems. His career spans the ownership of iconic Las Vegas properties, the development of U.S. operations for major international bookmakers, and the execution of over $3 billion in project finance, M&A, and gaming technology initiatives.

As Founder of SCCG Management, Stephen has built one of the most respected advisory firms in the industry, supporting more than 120 client partners across 100+ countries. His work has consistently focused on scaling emerging technologies, unlocking new markets, and building high-impact partnerships across the global gaming landscape.

Now, he brings that experience directly to Cafrino.

A Leadership Move Built for Scale

Stephen’s appointment marks a strategic step forward as Cafrino accelerates its global commercial efforts.

In his role as Chief Commercial Officer, he will lead:

• Global commercial strategy and revenue growth
• Strategic partnerships and market expansion
• Key account development and deal execution

His experience building large-scale distribution networks and navigating complex gaming markets positions Cafrino to expand faster, partner smarter, and execute at a higher level across regions.

This is not just about adding leadership, it’s about embedding proven global execution into the core of Cafrino’s growth engine.

Aligning Vision with Opportunity

Throughout his career, Stephen has consistently been at the center of industry evolution, from early casino development to today’s rapidly expanding digital gaming ecosystem.

He has secured major partnerships with professional sports organizations, helped establish sports betting frameworks within tribal markets, and worked across both emerging and regulated jurisdictions worldwide.

That perspective is critical as Cafrino continues to scale its poker platform across:

• Social and free-to-play environments
• Sweepstakes and promotional models
• Crypto and Web3 gaming platforms
• Real-money gaming operators

With a deep understanding of both legacy gaming infrastructure and next-generation technology, Stephen’s leadership helps bridge where the industry has been with where it’s going.

Powering the Next Phase of Cafrino Gaming

Cafrino’s poker platform has already reached more than 2 million players, supporting experiences for globally recognized brands including WWE, Hustler Casino, South Point Casino, and CardPlayer Poker.

As demand for flexible, scalable poker solutions continues to grow, Cafrino is focused on expanding its reach and strengthening its position as a leading provider of poker technology for operators worldwide.

Bringing Stephen Crystal into the organization is a clear signal of that direction.

Looking Ahead

This marks the beginning of a new chapter for Cafrino Gaming.

With Stephen leading commercial strategy, we are positioned to accelerate growth, deepen partnerships, and expand into new markets with greater precision and impact.

We’re excited for what’s ahead, and we’re just getting started.