Ongame follows PokerStars with grey market withdrawals
Amaya Gaming has withdrawn its B2B Ongame poker network from around 30 grey markets, less than a week after its PokerStars and Full Tilt brands exited the same jurisdictions.
An Amaya Gaming spokesman confirmed the withdrawal to eGaming Review this morning, and said it was in line with the Toronto-based company’s global policy.
Ongame’s brands, which include Betsson, Poker Heaven, Paf, RedKings and RedBet, will no longer accept real-money wagers from countries such as Malaysia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Iran.
Amaya purchased the Ongame network from bwin.party back in 2012 for a total cash consideration of 25m after SHFL Entertainment pulled out of an agreed 19.5m a few months earlier.
The news comes less than a week after Amaya’s Rational Group brands PokerStars and Full Tilt withdrew from the same markets after identifying an associated “business risk”.
“Our management team regularly reviews our operation along with independent third party professionals to assess the business risk and opportunities for our brand on a market-by-market basis,” PokerStars said in a statement at the time.
The withdrawals come as Great Britain prepares for the start of its new licensing regime, now scheduled for 1 November, under which the Gambling Commission requires operators to justify continuing operations in markets for which they are not licensed.
PokerStars and Full Tilt are also going through the licensing process with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, with a return to the US market imminent.
A number of big-name operators have recently undergone a review of their grey market operations with the likes of William Hill and Ladbrokes having announced withdrawals from certain countries.