Online gambling operator The Stars Group (TSG) has managed the neat trick of achieving double-digit poker revenue growth without adding any more poker players.

The Toronto-listed TSG released its Q3 earnings report on Thursday, which showed overall revenue of US $329.4m in the three months ending September 30, a 21.7% increase over the same period last year (constant currency growth was 16.8%). Adjusted earnings fared even better, rising 26.5% to $155.7m.

The parent company of PokerStars reported real-money online poker revenue rising 12.5% (7.5% in constant currency) to $221.4m, despite quarterly real-money active unique (QAU) customers remaining “virtually flat” from the same period last year at around 2m.

True, year-on-year comparisons are problematic, given Stars was forced to exit both Australia and Colombia during the quarter, although this Q3 did benefit from the site’s late-2016 return to Portugal, where it essentially holds an online poker monopoly, so give/take.