Mypok merges with PokerXtrem
Both French-facing sites had sat on the Microgaming/888 joint network.
PokerXtrem and MyPok, two of the sites on Microgaming and 888’s joint dot.fr network, have announced that they are to merge.
Players that hold accounts with PokerXtrem, founded by International Stadiums Poker Tour chief executive Prosper Masquelier, will see their balances transferred to new or existing Mypok accounts, depending on which is appropriate, at the end of July.
PokerXtrem received its French licence from regulator ARJEL in July 2010, with Mypok “ launched by Spiral Solutions France and owned by the SOCODEM Group “ following suit in December of the same year. The latter has signed up a number of ambassadors including French international footballer Cedric Carrasso and poker player Roger Hairabedian, fifth on the country’s all-time money list.
Their merger will bring the number of sites on the Microgaming/888 network down to three, the others being 888poker.fr and pokersubito.fr. Another of the sites on the network, 200% Poker, closed its doors in July 2011.
The number of online poker sites in the French market has gone down gradually over recent months, with Iliad Gaming’s chilipoker.fr site the most recent to pull out of the jurisdiction. Iliad CFO Thomas Reynaud explained at the time that “The competitive environment and egaming tax levels do not make it viable to operate.”