PokerStars withdraws ring-fenced site from Austrian market
Poker giant pulls out its dot.fr client saying market is "unsustainable" after being forced to pay tax in both France and Austria
PokerStars has withdrawn its dot.fr site from the Austrian market after being forced to pay additional taxes to the government, the operator has told eGaming Review.
The poker giant was offering its dot.fr site to Austrian players alongside its dot.eu client, but recent regulatory changes meant it was paying taxes in both Austria and France.
“PokerStars started paying gaming duty taxes to the Austrian government for play on PokerStars.fr by players who had a registered address in Austria,” the operator said.
“This additional tax was in addition to the tax that PokerStars was already paying to the French government for play by all players on PokerStars.fr.
“It was unsustainable for PokerStars to pay double tax. Consequently, we have little choice, and need to stop allowing players with a registered address in Austria to play on PokerStars.fr.”
The operator confirmed to EGR that it would continue to service Austrian players through its dot.eu site.
PokerStars’ exit comes just weeks after Playtech announced it would take over the supply of the Austrian poker network after signing an agreement with win2day.
Stars, however, is busy ahead of its return to the US market later this month after confirming it will launch in New Jersey on 21 March.