PokerStars launches Spanish casino, withdraws from grey markets
Poker giant launches blackjack and roulette to players in Spain while exiting from a number of predominately Asian markets
PokerStars launched its first casino products this morning on its Spanish platform in what is expected to be the first step of a wider push into the casino vertical.
The Amaya-owned site added blackjack and roulette games, which were developed in-house, to its dot.es site in a move that is PokerStars first venture outside of its core poker product.
“We know that many of our customers are enjoying online casino games on competing platforms and our offering will enhance their experience with PokerStars and provide a safe, trusted and convenient way for them to be entertained,” Gino Appiotti, PokerStars president of Southern Europe, said.
“PokerStars aims to remain as the number one poker operator in Spain and strongly believes that in this market, adding casino games is the best way to serve players,” he added.
An Italian launch is expected to follow with Amaya revealing plans to launch casino in Italy and Spain before the end of the year back in August.
The news comes following reports Rational Group brands PokerStars and Full Tilt have withdrawn from a selected number of grey markets after identifying an associated “business risk”.
Markets affected by the withdrawals are believed to include Malaysia, Turkey, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Iran, with players having been sent messages to inform them that real-money gaming is no longer available in their respective countries.
“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.
Affected players are still be able to log into their accounts and access funds for withdrawl, but are not able to play on the site.
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 licensees 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.