Codere Online launches iOS poker app in Mexico
Codere Online has launched an iOS poker application in Mexico, with a similar bingo product and the android poker app billed to follow soon.
Developed in partnership with Playtech, the iOS poker app integrates with Playtech’s player‑vs‑player poker network, enabling Mexican users to compete in real time with players across multiple operators.
In a statement about the launch, Codere Online said it continues to see strong demand for poker in Mexico, with more than 1,300 unique active users per month across existing channels.
“Launching the poker app for iOS in Mexico is a key step in delivering on our commitment to offer customers all major online gaming categories,” said Alberto Telias, Chief Marketing Officer at Codere Online.
“Poker has quickly emerged as a highly attractive vertical for our users, and through our partnership with Playtech, we are bringing them a premium, high‑liquidity platform that elevates their experience.”
Playtech Chief Interactive Gaming Officer Marat Koss added, “Codere Online players will now boast access to one of the most liquid and competitive poker networks in the entire industry.”
The new app offers access to cash tables, multi‑table tournaments and Sit & Go formats. It also incorporates Codere Online’s responsible gaming tools.
“This release reflects our strategy to broaden our product offering and enhance the user experience across all key gaming verticals,” said Codere Online Head of Product Ran Licht.
“Playtech’s P2P network enables us to deliver a feature‑rich poker environment connected to a broader operator ecosystem, and we look forward to expanding our product suite with additional verticals currently in development.”
Devaluation of the Mexican peso hurt Codere Online’s third-quarter results last year, reported 17 November. Net gaming revenue was €51.6 million (US$60.7 million)1 EUR = 1.1769 USD
2026-02-19Powered by CMG CurrenShift, up 3% from the prior year. After adjustment, however, it was flat. Similarly, Mexico-only net gaming revenue was up 5% in constant currency to €26.8 million (US$31.5 million)1 EUR = 1.1769 USD
2026-02-19Powered by CMG CurrenShift, but flat when adjusted.
Verticals:
Sectors:
Topics:
Dig Deeper
Related stories
The Backstory
Why the timing matters
Codere Online’s push into standalone poker on iOS in Mexico lands at an inflection point for the country’s regulated gambling sector and for the operator’s own strategy. Mexico’s mobile-first audience, deep soccer fandom and rising digital payments have made the market a priority for international suppliers and local brands. Poker, long a niche with loyal players, is being repackaged as a liquidity play and a cross-sell engine. The company’s tie-up with Playtech, which powers the new app’s player-versus-player network, signals a bid to win on depth of product and shared liquidity rather than on bonuses alone. That makes sense in a market where scale and network effects increasingly decide outcomes.
Poker’s renewed emphasis also dovetails with broader shifts in Mexican igaming, where multi-vertical portfolios are becoming table stakes. Operators want customers to move easily across casino, bingo, poker and sports betting without friction. The ability to offer tournament formats and high-traffic cash games can help keep high-value users in the ecosystem longer, while responsible gaming tools aim to blunt rising regulatory and social concerns. This is the backdrop against which Codere Online is expanding its poker footprint, with Android and bingo apps slated to follow.
Playtech’s expanding footprint in Mexico
Codere Online’s reliance on Playtech’s poker network fits a larger pattern: the supplier is tightening its grip on liquidity-led products in Mexico. Playtech recently became the exclusive bingo supplier to SkillOnNet in Mexico and the UK after the operator migrated to the company’s new iBingo platform, bringing brands like PlayOjo and PlayUZU into pooled rooms with shared tools and management support. That move, detailed in Playtech becomes exclusive bingo supplier to SkillOnNet in Mexico, underscores how network effects and cross-operator liquidity are becoming competitive moats across verticals.
For Codere Online, plugging into Playtech’s poker network offers immediate scale: full lobbies, faster table fills and marquee tournaments that would be hard to replicate with a closed system. For Playtech, each new integration compounds liquidity, improving game cadence and prize pools that attract additional operators and players. The effect mirrors bingo’s network logic. As more rooms and brands consolidate under a single supplier’s umbrella, individual operators gain engagement tools and content variety that they might not build alone.
This consolidation trend raises the stakes for rivals. SkillOnNet’s exclusive bingo alignment means Codere Online’s poker expansion cannot be evaluated in isolation. It is one move in a market where leading suppliers are stitching together cross-border networks and where operators must decide which ecosystems to join—or whether to differentiate with proprietary tech at higher cost.
A fast-growing market with gaps
Growth prospects remain robust. Mexico’s gambling industry is projected to reach $40.6 billion by 2033 on a 15.7% compound annual growth rate, according to market research cited in Mexico’s gambling market projected to reach US$40.6 billion by 2033. Smartphone penetration of 82% and inexpensive data plans have made Mexico a hub for mobile wagering, with the 18 to 34 demographic accounting for most users. Mobile gambling alone is expected to generate $1.4 billion in 2024, and technology investment across operators reached an estimated $230 million in 2023.
The same report highlights risks that define the operating context for any new product release. Problem gambling affects 2.3% of Mexican adults, about double the global average. Illegal operators siphon as much as $450 million annually from licensed firms and cost the government an estimated $310 million in tax revenue. As products like poker ramp up, pressure will mount on operators to demonstrate responsible design—tools like deposit limits, time reminders and friction for high-risk behaviors—while regulators weigh further oversight following adjustments to the Federal Gaming and Raffles Law in 2021 and 2023.
In that environment, liquidity can be a double-edged sword. It improves the user experience and creates bigger prize pools, but it also increases the need for sophisticated monitoring of player behavior across networks. Suppliers with advanced data tools and operators that can show real-time interventions will likely gain favor with regulators and consumers. Codere Online’s emphasis on responsible gaming features in its poker rollout is a nod to that reality.
Brand bets beyond the sportsbook
Codere Online has paired product expansion with marketing tied to soccer, the country’s biggest driver of betting interest. The company became main sponsor of Rayadas, the women’s team of Club de Futbol Monterrey, placing its logo on match jerseys and planning activations around the 2025–2026 season. The deal, outlined in Codere Online named main sponsor of Mexican soccer team Rayadas, builds on an existing partnership with the club’s men’s side and aims to boost visibility for women’s football as Liga MX Femenil gains momentum.
The sponsorship strategy aligns with betting behavior. Wagering on Liga MX spikes during marquee matches, and digital fan platforms have shown rapid user growth. By anchoring brand presence in both men’s and women’s soccer, Codere Online positions itself to acquire and retain a broader base, including younger and more diverse audiences. That funnel can feed multi-vertical engagement—sports bettors sampling bingo rooms or poker tournaments—if the product experience is cohesive.
The approach also hedges against customer acquisition costs that have risen as competitors crowd the market. Jersey placement, community activations and season-long integrations can deliver more efficient reach than pure digital spend, especially when paired with product launches that give fans fresh reasons to engage on mobile.
Governance and the Nasdaq cloud
The poker push comes as Codere Online works through corporate housekeeping that could affect investor confidence. In May the company said it would appeal a Nasdaq notice to delist the stock after delays in filing its Form 20-F for 2024. The company attributed the timing to a change in accounting firms and laid out a near-term filing plan as it sought a hearing under Nasdaq’s Listing Rule 5800 Series, according to Codere Online to fight Nasdaq delisting. The outcome has implications for liquidity in the shares and the cost of capital that underwrites growth in Latin America and Spain.
Codere Online has also moved to tighten oversight. It appointed A.G. Burnett, former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, as chair of its compliance committee, a role he assumes alongside the renewal of the company’s full board slate. The governance update, reported in Codere Online appoints new Chair of compliance committee, signals a push to reinforce regulatory credibility as the operator scales in high-growth jurisdictions.
These threads—regulatory scrutiny, network partnerships, market expansion and brand investments—converge in Mexico. Poker on iOS is not just another app launch. It is a test of whether Codere Online can deepen engagement in a mobile-centric market while managing compliance expectations and investor uncertainty. If the company executes on liquidity, responsible play and cross-sell, it strengthens its hand. If filings, governance or market risks wobble, the path gets harder, even in a market that is growing fast.
