The Retention Renaissance: Alessia Smirnova on How EvenBet is Redefining Poker for the Modern Casino

The global iGaming landscape of 2026 has transitioned into a disciplined phase characterized by "severe market selection". As user acquisition costs (CPA) reach unsustainable levels for operators relying on high-churn verticals like slots, the industry has turned its attention toward the "poker renaissance" as a stabilization mechanism for long-term player value (LTV). EvenBet Gaming, a pioneer with over two decades of expertise, stands at the nexus of this shift by reframing poker not as a standalone product, but as a central "retention engine" for multi-vertical platforms.

Key Takeaways

• Poker as Retention: In an era of high CPA, poker’s inherently social and skill-based nature makes it 3 to 10 times more cost-effective for retention than traditional slots.
• Simplification Trend: Products like One-Click Poker and Spins Poker are removing traditional barriers, allowing casino players to engage in P2P games without complex lobbies.
• Global Expansion: EvenBet reached a milestone of 200+ projects across 41 countries by 2025, serving over 72 million players.
• Strategic Transition: Business Development Executive Alessia Smirnova is concluding a high-growth tenure in February 2026, leaving behind a "Trophy Cabinet" of awards and record-breaking financial performance.
• Unified Integration: Through partnerships with aggregators like Timeless Tech, operators can seamlessly "switch on" these advanced poker tools via a single API.

Introduction: Beyond the "Slot Arms Race"

The current iGaming era is no longer defined by a "Slot Arms Race" where studios burn capital on complex graphics that quickly exhaust player interest. Instead, the focus has shifted toward Social Retention. As Alessia Smirnova, Business Development Executive at EvenBet Gaming, noted during her interview at ICE Barcelona 2026, the industry’s "Silver Lining" lies in turning gambling platforms into community hubs where players compete, share, and discuss their experiences.

EvenBet has navigated this evolution by maintaining its independence and a singular focus on the poker vertical. This consistency allowed them to predate the industry's "mobile-first" pivot by years and establish themselves as "crypto-native" leaders as early as 2014. Today, their mission is clear: simplifying the poker experience to engage the casual entertainment audience of sportsbooks and casinos who once found traditional poker ecosystems intimidating.

"Poker is known as a standalone iGaming vertical, but it’s also a good tool to cover two tasks: acquiring new players and improving the retention of existing ones. Its CPA is 3 to 10 times lower... because players feel tied to loyalty benefits and the community."

— Alessia Smirnova, Business Development Executive, EvenBet Gaming.

The Architecture of Engagement: Spins and One-Click

The flagship innovations for the 2025-2026 period are mathematically optimized for operator retention rather than short-term volatility. Spins Poker, a three-player hybrid solution, gamifies the vertical by reducing a session to just five minutes, making it a viable tool for sportsbook operators to engage bettors during half-time or game breaks. In 2024, this format was so effective it accounted for 94% of Sit & Go revenue in the French regulated market.

Building on this success, the early 2026 release of One-Click Poker removes the traditional "poker lobby" entirely. It allows players to jump directly into a game from a casino or sportsbook main page, eliminating the friction that typically leads to acquisition churn. This "simplification" strategy ensures that multiplayer poker can thrive when it adopts the pace and accessibility of modern digital lifestyles.

Global Reach and the "Trust" Filter

Compliance is the foundation of EvenBet's value proposition. With licenses from the MGA, UKGC, and Juego Seguro (Spain), the company has established a robust "Trust" filter. Their RNG has been certified by GLI, iTechLabs, and Quinel, guaranteeing the mathematical unpredictability essential for player trust in P2P environments.

This regulatory agility has been pivotal in emerging markets. In Latin America, EvenBet’s "Club" and "Agent" models allow for decentralized networks that bypass local payment barriers, creating community-led traffic with partners like Betplay in Colombia and Apuesta Total in Peru. Meanwhile, in the US, EvenBet has become a primary software supplier for the Sweepstakes and Social Casino sector, notably powering the PvP engine for Stake.us.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Innovation

As Alessia Smirnova concludes her tenure in February 2026, EvenBet enters a phase of "Mature Dominance". The company's record 27.9% revenue increase in 2024 and its recent win as Best Online Poker Supplier at the 2026 European iGaming Awards prove that the "poker-as-retention" narrative is being embraced globally.

For Timeless Tech, the partnership with EvenBet ensures that our partners can leverage these 20 years of expertise through a seamless integration. Whether it is solving the "half-time problem" for sportsbooks or navigating the complex regulatory shifts in Brazil, EvenBet remains the industry's premier retention engine, proving that skill-based, social gaming is the most sustainable path forward in 2026.