By players, for players: Worldpokerdeals’ passion-led growth

For iGBA winner Worldpokerdeals’ head of LatAm, Juan David Vargas, poker was love at first sight. 

Back to 20 years ago at the National University of Colombia, the aspiring electrical engineer spotted a poker table in the cafeteria on his first day of lectures. Curious, Vargas sat down to play and was instantly hooked. After graduating, he shuffled between engineering roles at major multinational food companies, including Nestlé’s Colombian branch, where he managed and executed industrial projects across multiple sites.

Yet his love for poker never fizzled out. Confident he could balance two very different passions, Vargas began freelancing in the poker industry. Over the years, he came to know the sector inside out, working across roles as a professional player, forum moderator, content creator, affiliate manager and iGaming writer. Then in 2016, he landed a translator role at the then four-year-old Worldpokerdeals, which then extended to his full-time job as the company grew. 

Player-centric growth

Like Vargas’ own journey into the iGaming world, Worldpokerdeals’ path was driven by the same enthusiasm. Founded by ex-professional player Rodion Longa in 2012, the brand was built with a clear mission: to provide professional affiliate services for professional poker players. Unlike traditional promotions, Longa set out to offer a complete package that included access to the best rooms, private fields, coaching and software. 

“The first version of our website was launched on Wix, and since then, we've evolved, seeking to offer greater and better services to the entire ecosystem,” Vargas recalls. 

In the early days of poker, competition was fierce, with every site vying for professional players with rakeback promotions largely based on rake volume. Over time, however, the industry shifted its priorities. “The focus has changed to recreational players, recognising that without them, the industry would be unsustainable,” Vargas says.

For Worldpokerdeals, this meant rethinking its entire value proposition. The team modernised its strategy to appeal to a mixed audience, balancing the needs of both professionals and casual players. “We adapted our value proposition to attract a mixed audience that would serve the operators’ changing needs, shifting our focus to the casual player who seeks to have fun at the tables above all else,” he explains.

The company also began investing heavily in credibility and networking. In 2018, it secured GPWA certification, joined affiliate communities and expanded its presence at major gaming conferences in London, Barcelona and Amsterdam (above). These efforts, Vargas says, helped the team strengthen partnerships and even “made great friends along the way”.

From double win to expansion

The hard work paid off in 2019, when Worldpokerdeals picked up two iGB Affiliate Awards – Best Poker Website and Best Non-English Website. Vargas calls the double win a “turning point” for the company. “We remember that night as if it were yesterday. Rodion, our founder, declared himself the happiest person in the world while posing with the two prizes in his hand.”

Recognition on an international stage had a tangible effect on business. The awards gave the team renewed confidence to expand its services and strengthen its reputation for quality and reliability. The team was able to close “new and better deals” in the following years and start its next phase of growth, expanding brand reach even further and offering new services. 

One of the areas Worldpokerdeals expanded into was streaming. As Vargas explains, the sector has become an essential part of the poker ecosystem. “Over the past couple of years, streaming and live broadcasts, commentated by industry figures, have gained significant traction. It's now common to find channels in different languages where players navigate poker tournaments; some have even recorded live winnings of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Streaming, he believes, will continue to be central to poker’s growth, particularly in boosting players’ morales and fostering new competitions. “Poker is a unique game, full of glamour, exclusive experiences and tournaments where world champions are crowned,” he says. “Streaming will create a new competitive environment among players seeking to replicate the successes they observe online, resulting in benefits for all parties involved.”

Another key development has been the company’s push into Brazil, where poker enjoys a strong cultural following. With a localised strategy that relies on hiring regional experts rather than simple translations, Vargas says Worldpokerdeals has built a solid foothold in the newly regulated market.

The 2025 win and beyond

This July, Worldpokerdeals was back at the iGBA Awards, reclaiming the Best Poker Affiliate title. Although Vargas wasn’t able to travel to London for the ceremony, his colleague and the affiliate’s head of sales, Anton Alekseienko, snagged the trophy on the Troxy stage and was video interviewed shortly after.

“It’s a recognition of the constant efforts of our entire team,” Vargas says. “The values evaluated by the iGBA judges are part of Worldpokerdeals’ DNA, and while we recognise that the decision must have been very tough, the scales tipped in our favour.”

As for growth strategy this year and beyond, the company is expanding its footprint beyond poker, with new projects in casino and sports betting already underway. “Building on the experience we have gained in the poker industry, WPD have initiated a process of expanding into the casino and sports betting industries, which may lead to new projects in these areas,” he explains.

Part of the growth is also investing in people. Worldpokerdeals encourages its staff to pursue advanced studies in areas like digital business strategy, SEO, customer service and project management. Vargas highlights how retention is reinforced by training programmes, sports incentives and “dream trips” that build team spirit. 

For Vargas, from the day he first sat at a poker table in a university cafeteria two decades ago, the journey has been transformative. Joining the Worldpokerdeals team and witnessing its evolution, he’s not only carved out a career in iGaming, but also proved that passion and professionalism can thrive side by side.