Milestones in the History of Online Gambling
EPISODE I - "VAMOS ALL-IN RAFA"

We would like to review some recent milestones that have marked the history of online gaming and have had a global impact on the gambling industry.

In this first installment of the "Milestones of Online Gaming" series, we focus on one of the most significant events of the past decade in terms of communication by companies in the sector. While we know of many ambassadors and events that have helped raise the visibility of gambling operators, never before had there been such recognition as when PokerStars presented one of the most influential personalities in the world of sports as their ambassador.

Today, we talk about Rafa Nadal and his role as the flagbearer for PokerStars for almost four years (2012-2015)

The Ultimate Ambassador

Rafa Nadal is making headlines these days as we enjoy the Roland Garros matches, which have become forever associated with the Manacor-born tennis player. Unfortunately, the news is not about his triumphs on the court or another title to add to his illustrious record (including 22 Grand Slams, 14 of which are Roland Garros titles), but rather about his announcement that 2024 will be his last year as a professional tennis player.

In addition to not participating in Roland Garros 2023, Rafa announced in a crowded press conference that due to his physical condition, it is uncertain if he will make a comeback this year, leaving open the possibility that his left leg's iliac psoas injury may require an indefinite absence from the courts.

Associated with brands such as Kia (automobiles), Mapfre (insurance), and Nike (sportswear and footwear), Rafa Nadal "normalized" an industry like online gambling, which at that time had very few active athletes as its standard-bearer.

Although his contract was never made public, media outlets estimated that the initial two-season deal amounted to 12 million euros per year, which was extended for almost another year.

Impactful signing so far

At that time, online gambling advertising did not have specific legislation, and television commercials and sports sponsorships marked the beginning of the regulated market in Spain. The signing of tennis player Rafael Nadal, Olympic gold medalist and multiple Grand Slam champion, by the world's number one online poker operator and undoubtedly the initial leader in market share in Spain (as Winamax did not yet have a license in Spain) was a surprise to many.

Rumors had been circulating for weeks in poker forums and portals after Rafa Nadal was photographed filming an advertisement on the streets of Barcelona. However, it wasn't until June 21, 2012, when PokerStars officially announced his signing, that people believed a renowned professional athlete like Rafa would associate with a gambling brand, even though the operator already had a gambling license issued by the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling.

Throughout his career, Nadal has primarily promoted sports values, hard work, and determination. As a public figure, Nadal became a perfect advocate for responsible poker promotion and the close relationship between the game and its competitive and sports aspects. This connection made even more sense during a time when online poker in countries like Italy was associated with tournament play.

Much more than just a face in the ads

Far from using Rafael Nadal solely in static communications based on his face or titles, the activation of his sponsorship encompassed a multitude of formats, and his role was crucial in promoting important initiatives such as the transition from primarily playing on computers to playing on mobile and tablet poker apps.

With marketing and poker professionals of the caliber of Alfonso Cardalda and Isaac Mayolas in the company, PokerStars Spain capitalized on the use of Rafael's image with memorable actions on social media and television. However, during the rare moments without tennis activity, Rafael Nadal also participated in live poker promotional events coinciding with tournaments such as the EPT Barcelona or the EPT Monte Carlo.

The new campaign by PokerStars promotes the mobile and tablet application with Rafael Nadal as the image.

This strategy allowed Rafael Nadal's followers on social media (and consequently, the media that echoed the news) to see him giving poker advice. On Twitter, hashtags like #NadalPoker or the tags used in campaigns featuring the Spanish tennis player naturally brought the reality of poker closer to the general public and sports enthusiasts.

It is worth noting that Rafael was not used to promote sports betting, despite PokerStars' significant investment at that time in diversifying its product range with PokerStars Casino and SportsStars targeting the casino and betting verticals. However, as we will see in the following lines, the support for the new brand through which PokerStars aimed to expand its market share in the betting segment was implicit.

Charitable actions also stood out. In a time when responsible gambling was less visible, Rafael conveyed messages of moderation in gambling and participated in campaigns like this one. It would have been remarkable to highlight the care and support for activities with social purposes.

In a fun way, such as the campaign where a "secret brother" was found for our well-known tennis star Rafael Nadal.



A charitable project in which "the two brothers" will compete to see who can garner greater support on social media, with challenges on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, and also featuring product auctions on the eBay and Pokerstars.es platforms.

Historic TV and Social Media Campaigns

There is no doubt that the association of poker not only with fun but also with competition, exemplified by the Team SportStars, was not only the first significant attempt but also the most successful one. It opened the door for several years to other contracts with sports stars, not just actors, artists, or influencers. This happened at a time when tournaments and poker had gained recognition as a sport in many countries.

Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, appeared in PokerStars commercials playing poker against a fictional character named Lucia Arroyo, a "runner-up in pillow fights." Rafa played from his iPad in the bathroom of his house while his opponent played from a laptop in a library.

"I play on PokerStars because I love competition and mental sports." This message created a following and helped expand the niche of recreational poker players who could now aspire to qualify for increasingly important online and live poker tournaments, sharing tables on the internet with athletes of Rafael Nadal's caliber.
Rafael Nadal's enjoyment of competing without a racket also had an important educational and developmental component. That is why in numerous actions, Rafa presented himself as a poker player who needed to improve and undergo a learning process. Therefore, we also saw Nadal in advertising campaigns and other events organized to support PokerStars' platforms and learning resources, such as Intellipoker.

Member of Team PokerStars

But Rafael Nadal was never alone in this adventure of promoting the leading online poker room of that time. Although Rafa joined the brand with the red spade in June 2012, for much of his contract, he was part of the well-known Team SportStars, which perfectly exemplified PokerStars' attempt to associate poker with sports.

During that time, Rafa had teammates such as Neymar Jr and Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, representing the king of sports, as well as other athletes from less mainstream sports such as Fatima Moreira, Marcus Hellner, and Zoe Billings.

A Goodbye with some doubt

Rafael Nadal ceased to be one of the faces of PokerStars in October 2015, prioritizing the activation of agreements with Neymar Jr and Ronaldo and focusing on football from then on. PokerStars also heavily invested in securing presence in static advertising banners in stadiums and sponsoring teams like River Plate in Argentina.

Among the reasons attributed to the termination of the contract, there were speculations that Rafael Nadal's poor tennis season (the Spanish sports press even referred to his 2015 season as an "annus horribilis") played a role. During that season, Nadal suffered injuries and notable defeats against players like Dolgopolov, Fognini, Verdasco, Raonic, Berdych, Wawrinka, as well as his top rivals Djokovic and Murray.

Far from speculations about whether it was Nadal or PokerStars that caused the most successful commercial separation in the industry during that decade, the truth is that both the athlete and the brand continued on their successful paths...

Note: As an AI language model, I have translated the text from Spanish to English. Please note that translations may not be perfect and can vary depending on the context.



Rarely has such an important brand ambassador like Rafa Nadal been so involved in its promotion. It was an important time for the consolidation of poker, especially with the emergence of regulated markets like Spain, where internet gaming habits transitioned from browser-based or downloadable programs for PC and laptops to apps that provided the freedom of playing on mobile phones or tablets.

The athlete from Manacor proved to be a guarantee for any company that wanted to align its image with a global icon, and for three years we could see Rafa Nadal prominently featured on all possible platforms: photos, videos, posts, television commercials, live poker events, interviews... playing poker and bringing his victories from the tennis courts to the green felt of the poker tables.