Poker stars obtains Portuguese licence after the regulator body the Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ) announced that it had granted a licence to REEL Europe Limited based in Malta, which is a subsidiary of parent company Amaya. This announcement came on Monday, 28th. Portugal government legalised the online gaming sector in June and now the country is expecting that opening up the new online gaming market would bring enough national and international operators who would want to raise an extra €25m in tax revenue. This is the fifth licence which has been awarded by the regulatory body in Portugal.
Poker Stars earlier withdrew from the Portuguese market in July 2015 and now obtaining the Portuguese licence from the SRIJ the company can now operate poker and online casino in the country. Their newly launched platform will also offer tournament poker, Hold’em poker, Omaha poker, Blackjack and French Roulette. In addition to this Amaya also wants to get appropriate approval to offer sports betting through BetStars in Portugal in the near future.
The Company said in a press release on November, 30: “PokerStars will maintain the very highest levels of player fund protection by segregating Portuguese player funds under trust agreements, as is done in all markets where PokerStars offers its products. In the meantime, while Portugal remains a closed liquidity poker market, PokerStars intends to actively work with applicable Portuguese authorities to help further develop and enhance the Portuguese regulatory framework for poker, including, without limitation, through the promotion of shared liquidity.”
CEO of Amaya Rafi Ashkenazi, made the announcement in November and said: “that the company was waiting for final regulatory approval. He also mentioned that shared liquidity could occur at some point worldwide or between other markets such as France and Italy.”
ERIC HOLLREISER, VICE-PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS FOR AMAYA: “We are very happy to offer the world’s leading online poker brand to Portuguese players under a local regulatory framework that ensures rigorous consumer protection and gaming integrity. This approval demonstrates our commitment to the responsible growth of online gaming by supporting local regulation that protects players, creates a viable marketplace and provides revenue for local governments.”
