PKR withdraws from "unviable" French poker market

PKR has withdrawn from the “unviable” French online poker market in order to focus on growing its dot.com business, the poker operator told eGaming Review this morning.

The firm said the regulated French market had been far from a success to date and hoped for the sake of players that “a better solution will eventually be found”.

“France was an underperforming area which sadly had to be closed so that we could focus our resources on growing our primary gaming business,” a PKR spokesman told eGR.

“As for the rest of our business, the closure of www.pkr.fr was a decision taken so that we can strengthen our offering at www.pkr.com,” he added.

News of PKR’s withdrawal means that more than half of the 62 licensees to have joined the newly regulated market in 2010 have now exited the country, and comes after French online gambling trade body AFJEL earlier this month called for a review of the country’s legislative framework “as soon as possible” in order to improve operating conditions.

It is the second time PKR has withdrawn from a market in the past 12 months, having closed its Italy-facing poker room in November last year.

PKR also conducted a major overhaul of its in-house poker platform last year in a bid to improve the speed of gameplay as it looks to attract more high-volume players.

The closure comes just weeks after the operator confirmed it had appointed former managing director of Sportingbet Europe and MyLotto24 Neil Alexander as its new CEO.

“With a new management team in place, significant financial investment, continued product development and a new strategic approach, we aim to return PKR to the forefront of the gaming market,” the spokesman said.