Canada
Pros Or Newbies – Who’s Playing Live Poker at Online Casinos?
If you’re wondering who gambles online, the short answer is – almost everyone. It’s estimated that more than 4.2 billion people gamble on the internet at least once a year. Most of them do it by either playing online casino games like slots or roulette or by placing sports wagers.
Surprisingly, there’s also a significant community that plays live poker games over the internet. Many place the number at more than 100 million active players in the world. What’s interesting is that their number keeps on growing exponentially. This could mean that a significant number of players are only making baby steps in online poker, which raises the question of whether there are more pro-poker players or beginners.
How Experienced are Online Poker Players?
Who plays online poker more – pros or beginners? The answer is both. However, the two categories don’t cross their paths on internet poker platforms too often.
The thing is that pros are usually willing to play online poker at higher stakes. After all, they have money that they earned from playing poker professionally. Therefore, they tend to play against other high-rolling poker pros.
Poker newbies, on the other hand, usually start slowly, playing low-stakes games. That seems to be the right thing to do, at least for those who don’t want to risk losing all they got in just a few hands.
Another reason why newcomers are advised to start with low stakes is that this will enable them to get better at poker. This way, they get a chance to play poker for a long time against different types of opponents, gaining valuable experience along the way.
Play Poker Games Live In Different Languages
A study by researchers from the University of Hamburg a few years ago revealed that nearly one-quarter of all online poker players are from the United States. It’s no surprise, considering that this game’s birthplace is America. The growth of online casinos, on the other hand, has significantly contributed to the global increase in the number of poker players.
Poker at online casinos is not only tailored to newcomers, but it is also available in more languages. Initially, live poker games could only be played on English-language platforms, but as online gambling became more popular in other parts of the world, operators began to offer live dealers in additional languages. This includes some languages spoken in countries where gambling is banned. One of the best examples is the Middle East.
Poker is one of the most popular game categories at Arabic-Casinos.org, and an increasing number of visitors from the region are looking for casinos that offer live poker in Arabic. As a result, online casino operators and game developers have recognized the market’s potential and are offering more products and services aimed at the Arabic market.
Gender Aspect of Online Poker
In the United States, 95% of all professional poker players are men, compared to just 5% of female poker players. Further, if you take a look at The Hendon Mob All Time Money List, there’s just one woman in the top 100. The lady in question is Vanessa Selbst, whose $11,906,247 in earnings make her the #79 most successful poker players in the world.
It’s a bit of a different situation when it comes to amateur poker players. Although no one can say for certain how many female players are playing live poker over the internet, it’s likely that their number isn’t small. The reason why there’s no data that could tell us the exact number of women playing online poker is that many gambling sites don’t require you to reveal your gender in order to be able to play.
What’s the Thrill Behind Playing Live Poker?
The main advantage of online poker is that you can play it wherever you might be. You don’t have to go to a casino – you can do it from the comfort of your home, but also on the go, playing it on your smartphone.
Another great thing about it is that the internet allows you to play poker against people from around the world. That said, you can always find some opponents ready to play with you for real money, even if it’s the middle of the night in your part of the world.
Conveniently, online live poker enables you to play whenever you want, wherever you might be, and against whomever you want.
Over the years, poker has become an integral part of American culture, with numerous movies and songs being inspired by the game. Just think of Lady Gaga’s breakthrough hit “Poker Face” and you’ll see what we mean.
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Canada
RESPWNED partners with LOTUS 8 to bring GIRLGAMER festival to Winnipeg in 2026
RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 have signed a partnership to launch the GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival in 2026, marking the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand’s expansion into Canada.
RESPWNED manages the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand, while LOTUS 8 is a Canada-based company focused on event development and partnerships. The companies said they will jointly develop and deliver the Winnipeg event, combining global esports IP management, event production, commercial partnerships, and local execution.
“This partnership represents an exciting milestone for GIRLGAMER as we continue to expand globally and bring our platform to new audiences,” said Tiago Fernandes, Managing Partner at RESPWNED. “Canada is a dynamic and fast-growing Esports market, and we are proud to collaborate with LOTUS 8 to deliver a meaningful and impactful event experience.”
Steven Vuong, representing LOTUS 8, added: “We are thrilled to partner with RESPWNED to bring the GIRLGAMER Festival to Canada. This collaboration reflects a shared vision of building inclusive, high-quality esports experiences while creating strong commercial and community value. Together, we are laying the foundation for a standout event in 2026.”
The GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival is planned as a family-oriented event with business networking, brand activations, and community programming, and is expected to include international and local talent. Additional details, including dates, venue, and participating partners, will be announced in the coming months.
The post RESPWNED partners with LOTUS 8 to bring GIRLGAMER festival to Winnipeg in 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Canada
RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 to launch GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival in 2026
RESPWNED, the company that manages the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand, and LOTUS 8, a Canada-based company focused on event development and partnerships, today announced their partnership to the launch of the GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival.
The strategic partnership marks a significant step in expanding the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand into Canada.
This brings its globally recognized platform for competitive gaming, inclusivity, and industry engagement to a new market.
The GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival is envisioned as a family-oriented event, with business networking, brand activations, and community-driven experiences.
Under the terms of the agreement, RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 will work collaboratively to develop and deliver the event, combining their respective expertise in global esports IP management, event production, commercial partnerships, and local market execution.
“This partnership represents an exciting milestone for GIRLGAMER as we continue to expand globally and bring our platform to new audiences,” said Tiago Fernandes, Managing Partner at RESPWNED.
“Canada is a dynamic and fast-growing Esports market, and we are proud to collaborate with LOTUS 8 to deliver a meaningful and impactful event experience.”
Steven Vuong, representing LOTUS 8, added: “We are thrilled to partner with RESPWNED to bring the GIRLGAMER Festival to Canada.
This collaboration reflects a shared vision of building inclusive, high-quality esports experiences while creating strong commercial and community value.
Together, we are laying the foundation for a standout event in 2026.”
The GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival will feature a combination of international and local talent, brand partnerships, and programming designed to foster diversity, inclusion, and innovation within the gaming and esports ecosystem.
Further details, including dates, venue, and participating partners, will be announced in the coming months.
RESPWNED LTD
RESPWNED is a United Kingdom-based company specializing in esports IP management, event production, and industry consultancy.
The company manages the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand, a global platform dedicated to creating opportunities and visibility for women in gaming and esports.
LOTUS 8
LOTUS 8 is a Canada-based premier esports organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dedicated to building championship-calibre teams across North America, they are at the forefront of innovation in competitive gaming.
As pioneers in the industry, they have developed the Performance Mindset Mindfulness, a system designed to support mental health in esports.
This holistic approach blends mental wellness practices, meditation, nutrition, fitness, and proper sleep hygiene into their competitive strategy.
The post RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 to launch GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival in 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
Analysis flags World Cup 2026 stress test for Canada’s patchwork betting rules
Canada’s provincial gambling model is likely to face a major stress test during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to new research published by CasinoCanada.com. The analysis argues the tournament will highlight uneven betting access and channelisation across provinces as Canada co-hosts the event.
The research draws on provincial regulatory reporting, iGaming Ontario’s annual figures and data from Blask’s 2025 iGaming Landscape Report. It says Ontario’s open market—described as having nearly 50 licensed operators—has reached an 83.7% channelisation rate, meaning most online bettors are using regulated platforms.
Outside Ontario, CasinoCanada.com estimates significantly higher offshore leakage, including 93% in Saskatchewan, 88% in Alberta and Manitoba, and about 49% retention in British Columbia despite the long-running PlayNow provincial platform. The report frames those gaps as a competitiveness issue for regulated offerings.
CasinoCanada.com also highlights timing risk in Alberta’s transition to a competitive market. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) registration deadline for operators is 13 July 2026—after the World Cup reaches the quarter-final stage—raising the likelihood that peak tournament betting volume continues to flow through unregulated operators, the report says.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR for CasinoCanada, said: “The 2026 World Cup is not just a commercial opportunity for the Canadian market – it’s a live stress test for how the country regulates gambling. Ontario has built something that works, and the numbers show it. However, for most Canadians outside that market, the tournament is going to arrive at a system that was never designed for this level of demand.
“The offshore leakage figures are not abstract. They represent real bettors choosing unregulated platforms because the regulated alternative isn’t competitive enough. The World Cup will make that gap very visible, very quickly.”
The post Analysis flags World Cup 2026 stress test for Canada’s patchwork betting rules appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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