Most advice on making money from poker assumes you’ll sit at the tables and beat the other players. That works for a small number of people, and it takes years. But poker is also a business, and the people who earn most reliably from it often don’t play a hand. They run the platforms, send players to them, supply the services operators need, or introduce operators to the companies that power them.
This guide covers seven ways to make money from poker without playing, what each one involves, and how much effort and money it takes to get started.
Short answer: you can earn from poker without playing by taking a share of the rake. That can mean running your own poker platform, referring operators to a poker software provider, becoming a poker affiliate or agent, or selling services to poker businesses. The rake, the small fee taken from cash game pots and tournament entries, is where the money in poker comes from.
How do poker sites make money?
Before looking at the options, it helps to know where the money actually comes from. A poker site doesn’t play against its players the way a casino table game does. Players play against each other, and the site earns in two ways:
- Rake from cash games: a small percentage taken from each pot, usually with a cap per hand.
- Tournament fees: a fee added to each tournament buy-in, such as $10 + $1, where the $1 goes to the site.
Because the site earns whoever wins the hand, its income depends on how many people play and how often, not on luck. That’s why almost every way of making money from poker without playing comes down to getting a share of the rake and tournament fees, directly or indirectly.
7 ways to make money from poker without playing
1. Refer operators to a poker software provider
If you know people who want to start their own online poker business, you can introduce them to a poker platform provider and earn a share of what the provider makes from them. This is a B2B referral program: you’re not sending players, you’re sending the business that runs the tables.
At Creatiosoft, our poker software referral program pays you 20% of our share of the referred operator’s rake and tournament fees, for as long as they stay with us. We take 10% of an operator’s rake and tournament fees, so if their tables make $20,000 in a month, our share is $2,000 and yours is $400. The monthly platform fee and custom development aren’t included; it’s based on rake only. No hidden terms 🙂
Good for: agents, consultants, payment or KYC providers and anyone with contacts in iGaming.
Start-up cost: none.
Effort: low once you’ve made the introduction, because the provider does the selling, setup and support.
2. Run your own poker platform
This is the most direct way to earn from the rake: become the operator. You launch a branded poker site or app, bring in players and keep the rake and tournament fees after your platform costs.
You don’t need to build software from scratch. A white label poker software provider gives you the games, apps, back office and hosting under your brand. On Creatiosoft there’s no setup fee: it’s $1,000 a month plus 10% of rake and tournament fees, with the first three months paid in advance (see pricing). You’re responsible for the gaming licence, payment providers and marketing, so read up on poker licensing before you start.
Good for: people with a player community, marketing budget or existing gaming business.
Start-up cost: moderate to high, mainly licensing and marketing.
Effort: high. It’s a real business with players, payments and compliance to manage.
3. Become a poker affiliate
Poker affiliates send players to poker rooms through websites, YouTube channels, social media or communities, and get paid for the players who sign up and play. Most programs pay one of three ways: a one-off payment per player (CPA), a share of the rake those players generate (revenue share), or a mix of both.
It can work well if you’re good at content and search, but it’s competitive, and many affiliate programs only accept traffic from countries where the room is licensed.
Good for: content creators and marketers.
Start-up cost: low, mostly your time.
Effort: high and ongoing. You need to keep bringing in new players.
4. Work as an agent for a poker operator
Many poker platforms, especially in Asia and Latin America, work with agents who bring in and look after groups of players. Agents usually earn a share of the rake their players generate, tracked through the operator’s back office. Creatiosoft’s platform, for example, includes agent and affiliate management so operators can set this up.
Good for: people with a local network of players.
Start-up cost: low.
Effort: medium. You manage player relationships, and the rules depend on local law.
5. Sell services to poker businesses
Every poker operator needs things it doesn’t do in-house: player marketing, payment processing, KYC checks, customer support, tournament management, translation, design. If you already offer one of these, poker operators are a specialist market where knowing the industry is worth a lot. You can also pair this with a referral program and earn on the platforms your clients launch.
Good for: agencies, freelancers and service companies.
Start-up cost: depends on the service.
Effort: medium to high.
6. Coach, stream or create poker content
Coaching, streaming and training content don’t involve playing for money yourself, but they do need real poker knowledge. Income comes from coaching fees, subscriptions, sponsorships and affiliate deals.
Good for: strong players who would rather teach than grind.
Start-up cost: low.
Effort: high, and it takes time to build an audience.
7. Back other players (staking)
Some people pay for other players’ tournament buy-ins in return for a share of their winnings. It’s an investment rather than a job: results swing a lot, and you can lose what you put in. Only consider it with money you can afford to lose and players whose results you can check.
Good for: people who know the game and the players well.
Start-up cost: the buy-ins you fund.
Effort: low, but the risk is high.
Which option suits you?
| Option | Start-up cost | Ongoing effort | How you earn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refer operators | None | Low | Share of the provider’s rake income |
| Run a poker platform | Moderate to high | High | Rake and tournament fees |
| Poker affiliate | Low | High | CPA or revenue share per player |
| Poker agent | Low | Medium | Share of your players’ rake |
| Services to operators | Varies | Medium to high | Service fees |
| Coaching and content | Low | High | Fees, subscriptions, sponsors |
| Staking | Buy-ins | Low | Share of winnings, with real risk of loss |
If you have contacts but no time to run a business, referring operators is the lowest-effort option. If you want to build something bigger and can handle licensing and marketing, running your own platform has the most upside.
Check the law where you are
Gambling laws differ by country and, in places like the US and India, by state. Running a platform, acting as an agent and promoting real-money poker can all need a licence or be restricted where you live or where your players are. Get local legal advice before you start. Referring a business to a software provider is usually simpler, but your partner agreement will still set out where the program applies.
FAQ
Can you really make money from poker without playing?
Yes. Poker sites earn from rake and tournament fees whoever wins, and you can get a share of that by running a platform, referring operators to a provider, working as an affiliate or agent, or selling services to poker businesses.
What is rake in poker?
Rake is the fee a poker site or card room takes from each cash game pot, usually a small percentage with a cap. Tournament fees are the equivalent for tournaments. Together, they are the main income of every poker operator.
What is the easiest way to earn from poker without playing?
For most people with contacts in gaming, it’s a referral program. You introduce an operator to a poker software provider, the provider does the selling and setup, and you earn a share of the income for as long as the operator stays.
How does the Creatiosoft referral program pay?
You earn 20% of Creatiosoft’s share of the rake and tournament fees from each operator you refer, for as long as they stay with us. The monthly platform fee and custom development are excluded. No hidden terms 🙂 See become a partner for the details.
