On March 19, BetMGM announced it has added professional poker player and content creator Abby Merk as the latest ambassador for BetMGM Poker.
As streaming and YouTuber culture grows ever more entwined with gambling, online casino and poker operators like BetMGM are looking for new methods to connect with their players. To that end, there has been a big push by BetMGM to add people like Merk to the team in order to appeal to their fans.
For casual players, this should mean more access to content related to gambling and additional events where players can enjoy casino games like poker with some of their favorite content creators.
Who is Abby Merk and how did she become a BetMGM ambassador?
Not too long ago, Abby Merk was just like many of us. She was a normal college student at Wake Forest who enjoyed playing poker in her free time. Now, she is one of the new faces of BetMGM as a Brand Ambassador and Poker Ambassador.
Merk’s rise to accepting this role with BetMGM really began during the COVID-19 pandemic when most of the United States was shut down. Merk and the rest of her family spent much of their time playing games including poker. That is when Merk realized she might be able to make a career out of it and began posting poker content daily.
Despite a career in finance, Merk decided to take the leap and play poker professionally as her full time job. She since has 10 appearances at different World Series of Poker events and now has transitioned into becoming BetMGM’s newest ambassador. Not bad for the 24-year-old Chicago resident.
BetMGM looking to better connect with current and new players
BetMGM adding Merk as a new ambassador of the company is not surprising at all. As online gaming becomes more and more popular, casino brands need to find new ways to connect with those type of players.
Think of it this way: many people who would rather play at online casinos are also more likely to be taking in gambling content online as well. So, having content creators like Merk should create a new path to gaining new players.
Additionally, many of Merk’s 85,000 followers could now become players with BetMGM themselves. For Merk, this seems to be a big deal. She used to be a Club Leader with Poker Power which was a female empowerment club that taught poker to women. Her new role with BetMGM should help create new pathways for women to get involved with poker professionally and casually.
BetMGM’s Chief Marketing Officer Casey Hubris has already said having someone like Merk on the team is a huge boost because of her ability to connect with her audience.
“Abby Merk’s winning personality and love of poker reflect the type of excitement we are building in the poker community. She is a fantastic addition to our stable of ambassadors and we look for her to build on her strong connection with her audience with her authentic style of storytelling.”
