Gamblers Connect today announced a brand-sponsorship agreement with poker player Miroslav Lukac for his appearance at the €1,100 NLH Main Event of the 2026 OlyBet Showdown Vilnius, taking place at Olympic Casino Lietuva from 9–17 May 2026. Lukac qualified for the Main Event by winning a tournament in Osijek, Croatia; the Gamblers Connect arrangement provides branded apparel and on-site brand visibility only. This is the second occasion on which Gamblers Connect has partnered with Lukac at a major live festival, following his previous outing at the XMAS Main Event in Zagreb.
The Player
Miroslav Lukac is a fixture of the Croatian and wider Balkan poker scene, with more than a decade of live tournament experience across the region. He has previously cashed and final-tabled multiple regional events and is recognised by peers for a steady, considered playing style. Lukac secured his €1,100 Main Event seat in Vilnius by winning a qualifying tournament in Osijek, Croatia. Gamblers Connect first partnered with Lukac at the XMAS Main Event in Zagreb, where he ran deep into the field before bowing out in an all-in pocket Jacks against pocket Sevens spot.
The Tournament
The €1,100 NLH Main Event headlines the OlyBet Showdown Vilnius 2026 festival, a nine-day series featuring 30+ tournaments, 20+ trophy events, and 24/7 cash games. The Main Event spans three starting flights (1A, 1B, 1C), with players surviving Day 1 progressing into Day 2 and the Final Day. Lukac enters the field on Flight 1B.
Main Event · Flight 1B (Lukac’s entry)
| Event | €1,100 NLH Main Event Flight 1B — Plays 12 Levels, Day 1 |
| Buy-in | €1,000 + €100 |
| Starting Stack | 50,000 |
| Level Length | 40 minutes |
| Start Date | Friday, 15 May 2026 · 12:00 local |
| Late Registration | Closes Level 14 on 15 May at 14:15 |
| Day 2 | 16 May 2026 |
| Final Day | 17 May 2026 |
| Venue | Olympic Casino Lietuva, Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Festival Dates | 9–17 May 2026 |
About the Sponsorship
This is a pure brand sponsorship. Gamblers Connect is not covering Lukac’s tournament buy-in — Lukac earned his Main Event seat himself by winning a qualifying tournament in Osijek, Croatia. Under the Gamblers Connect arrangement, the company is providing branded apparel and on-site brand visibility only. There is no buy-in funding, profit-share, action-sale, or staking arrangement attached to this announcement. As with the company’s prior backing of Lukac at the XMAS Main Event in Zagreb, this is a flat brand-visibility sponsorship rather than a player-funding or staking agreement.
Luka Dimitrijevic, Partnerships & Operations Lead said about this sponsorship:
“Backing Miroslav at the XMAS Main Event was a positive experience for us as a brand, and we’re pleased to support him again on a stage like the OlyBet Showdown. He represents the kind of player we like to put forward — experienced, professional, and a credit to the regional scene.”
About OlyBet Showdown Vilnius 2026
The 2026 edition of OlyBet Showdown Vilnius runs at Olympic Casino Lietuva and includes the €555 NLH Championship and the €1,100 NLH Main Event as marquee titles, alongside a deep schedule of side events and mixed-game tournaments. Full tournament information is available on the operator’s official tournament page.
Useful Links
- Main Event tournament page (operator): olympiccasinolithuania.pokerlens.net
- Festival overview: olybetevents.com/olybet-showdown-vilnius-2026
- Previous sponsorship (XMAS Main Event, Zagreb): gamblersconnect.com
About Gamblers Connect
Gamblers Connect is a B2B iGaming media platform serving operators, providers, regulators, and industry professionals. Its core activities include independent editorial coverage of the iGaming sector, the iHub company directory, the Responsible Gambling Index (RGI), and the Proof of Play casino verification methodology. Gamblers Connect does not operate as a player-acquisition channel, carries no affiliate tracking links on its review pages, and does not earn revenue from individual gambling activity.
