Winamax
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Winamax does
Winamax is a French online gambling operator founded in 2006 and headquartered in Paris, offering real-money online poker and sports betting under ANJ licenses N°003-PO-2010-06-05 (poker) and N°003-PS-2014-05-14 (sports betting). It serves individual consumer players across regulated European markets including France, Spain, and Germany, with delayed entry into Portugal. The platform is built on proprietary client software accessible via web, desktop (PC/Mac/Linux), and native iOS/Android applications, and is differentiated by in-house tournament formats such as Expresso and Space KO, the Legends achievement system, and product features including MyMatch custom bets, Combomax, MyClub, Jackpot Mondial, and Pyramide Football.
The company monetizes primarily through rake and tournament fees on online poker (cash games, tournaments, Sit & Go, Expresso, Space KO) and margin on sportsbook odds across pre-match and live markets. Customer acquisition is driven by a welcome package of up to EUR 350 (deposit match, freebets, Expresso tickets), a referral program, and large-scale Ligue 1 football sponsorships with RC Lens, Stade Rennais, RC Strasbourg, and Le Havre AC, supplemented by Winamax TV content across YouTube and Twitch and active social media. Retention is supported by a unified Miles loyalty/VIP program and gamification features such as Legends and Challenges.
Winamax is privately held and led by founder and CEO Alexandre Roos; the company received a single disclosed funding round of $14.8M from Idinvest Partners in 2010, indicating an operation that has historically been cash-generative rather than venture-funded. Headcount of 251-500 employees is consistent with a mature dual-product gambling operator, and 2025 commentary cites strong revenue growth driven by the Space KO launch and a record year for Expressos.
Winamax firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Winamax
- Legal name
- Winamax
- Website
- https://winamax.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Winamax industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Gambling (Poker and Sports Betting)
- NAICS
- Gambling Industries (7132), Other Gambling Industries (713290)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Poker Technology & Software (Clients, RNG, Anti-Fraud, HUD/Analytics) (MPAEAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sportsbooks (Online & Mobile Operators) (MPAEACAA), In-Play (Live) Betting Exchanges (MPAEAIAD)
Keywords
Where Winamax is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Winamax business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Online Poker: Rake and tournament fees from online poker games including cash games, tournaments, Sit & Go formats, and proprietary formats like Expresso and Space KO
- Sports Betting: Margin on sports betting odds across pre-match and live betting markets, including combinés, simples, and specialized bet types like MyMatch
- Welcome Bonuses and Promotions: Initial deposit matching (up to €250 bonus) and freebets (up to €100) to acquire new customers, with loyalty points (Miles) earned through ongoing play
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Welcome bonus: 100% match on first deposit up to €250 in bonus funds |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | BOOST x10 welcome offer for specific sports betting events |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Winamax product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Winamax operates a dual-platform online gambling service offering real-money online poker and sports betting through its proprietary platform accessible via web, iOS, Android, and desktop clients. The poker offering spans cash games, tournaments, Sit & Go formats, and proprietary knockout formats (Expresso, Space KO), while the sportsbook covers pre-match and live betting on football, tennis, basketball and other sports with promotional features such as MyClub, Combomax, and Pyramide Football.
Product overview
Winamax operates as a dual-platform gambling company offering both online poker and sports betting services. The poker platform (Winamax Poker) provides multiple tournament formats including the flagship Expresso knockout tournaments, the newer Space KO format (2025 launch), Sunday Surprise, Main Event, Mystery KO, and various Sit & Go formats, complemented by cash games and achievement systems like Legends and Challenges with VIP loyalty programs. The sports betting platform (Paris Sportifs) covers football, tennis, basketball and other sports with promotional features including MyClub (partner club betting), Jackpot Mondial (World Cup betting), Combomax (error-tolerant combiners), and Pyramide Football (multi-stage betting game). Both platforms share a unified mobile app for iOS and Android. The company primarily serves regulated markets in France, Spain, and EU, with delayed entry into Portugal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Winamax Poker
Companies that use Winamax
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Winamax technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Winamax partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RC LenscoreWinamax is the principal partner (sponsor principal) of RC Lens, one of France's most popular football clubs with a 38,000-seat stadium. Partnership includes front-of-jersey sponsorship, stadium branding, and joint poker tournaments (RC Lens Poker Live) allowing customers to win match tickets and play against club players.
- Stade Rennais FCcoreWinamax is the official sponsor of Stade Rennais, a club that won the Coupe de France in 2019 after 48 years and regularly competes in European competition. Partnership includes VIP match experiences and poker tournaments.
- Le Havre AC (HAC)coreWinamax is the principal partner of Le Havre AC, founded in 1894 and a historic French football club that returned to Ligue 1 after 14 years. Partnership includes front-of-jersey sponsorship on the club's jerseys and HAC Poker Live tournaments.
- RC Strasbourg Alsace (RCSA)coreWinamax sponsors RC Strasbourg, another historic French football club, with joint promotional activities including poker tournaments and VIP match experiences.
- G2 EsportsminorEsports team partnership visible on the website footer, suggesting sponsorship or collaboration in the esports space.
- Team HereticsminorEsports organization partnership listed among official partners.
- SolaryminorFrench esports organization partnership.
- Riot GamesminorGame publisher partnership for esports content and betting.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Winamax competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PokerStars (Flutter Entertainment): PokerStars is the global market leader in online poker, directly competing with Winamax in French and Spanish regulated markets. Both offer cash games, tournaments, and proprietary fast-fold/Sit & Go formats with similar rake-based revenue models.
- bwin (Entain): bwin is a leading European sports betting operator with French market presence, directly competing with Winamax in online sports betting. It shares a similar dual-platform model with poker and sports betting offerings.
- 888poker (888 Holdings): 888poker is a major online poker operator that has historically competed with Winamax in European regulated markets. Both offer tournament-based poker with proprietary formats and rake-based revenue models.
- Betclic (Mangas Gaming): Betclic is a French-founded online sports betting and gaming operator, directly competing with Winamax in the French market. It offers sports betting, poker, and casino games with similar rake/margin-based revenue models.
- partypoker (Entain): partypoker is a long-established online poker brand owned by Entain, directly competing with Winamax in European regulated markets. Both offer tournament and cash game poker with similar player-pool dynamics.
- Unibet (Kindred Group): Unibet is a major European online gambling operator with significant presence in France and Spain, offering sports betting, poker, and casino products. It directly competes with Winamax across both core verticals in the same regulated markets.
Broad incumbents
- PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain): PMU is a major French gambling incumbent focused on horse racing and sports betting, with growing online presence. It competes with Winamax in French sports betting and shares similar Ligue 1 sponsorship and marketing channels.
- FDJ (Française des Jeux): FDJ is the French national lottery operator and dominant incumbent in French gambling, offering sports betting (ParionsSport) and online gaming. It is Winamax's primary French competitor with deep regulatory entrenchment and broad product portfolio.
Emerging players
- Betsson: Betsson is a Swedish-based online gambling operator with a multi-brand portfolio including poker and sports betting across European markets. It overlaps with Winamax's EU footprint and product set, though Betsson has broader geographic diversification.
Regional players
- ZEturf: ZEturf is a French-licensed online betting operator focused on horse racing and sports betting. It shares the French regulated market with Winamax but is more narrowly focused on turf betting, serving as a secondary competitor for French sports betting wallet share.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Winamax social profiles
Digital presenceWinamax compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Winamax financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Winamax leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Winamax funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Winamax M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Winamax
What does Winamax do?
Winamax operates a dual-platform online gambling service offering real-money online poker and sports betting through its proprietary platform accessible via web, iOS, Android, and desktop clients. The poker offering spans cash games, tournaments, Sit & Go formats, and proprietary knockout formats (Expresso, Space KO), while the sportsbook covers pre-match and live betting on football, tennis, basketball and other sports with promotional features such as MyClub, Combomax, and Pyramide Football.
Is Winamax a public or private company?
Winamax is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Winamax founded?
Winamax was founded in 2006. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Winamax based?
Winamax is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Winamax make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Online Poker is the primary driver. The others are sports Betting and welcome Bonuses and Promotions.
Who are Winamax's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PokerStars (Flutter Entertainment), bwin (Entain), 888poker (888 Holdings), Betclic (Mangas Gaming), partypoker (Entain) and Unibet (Kindred Group). Broad incumbents are PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain) and FDJ (Française des Jeux). Betsson is listed as an emerging player. ZEturf is listed as a regional player.
Does Winamax have an API?
No public API is recorded for Winamax.
What industry is Winamax in?
Winamax's product category is Online Gambling (Poker and Sports Betting). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAEAEAH, Poker Technology & Software (Clients, RNG, Anti-Fraud, HUD/Analytics), with a secondary code of MPAEACAA, Sportsbooks (Online & Mobile Operators). Its NAICS code is 7132 and its SIC code is 6200.