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EU Online Poker Market Took Big Leaps Forward in 2018

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Throughout much of the first decade of the 21st century, poker was one of the most popular games to play online. In the middle of that decade, poker’s popularity soared to heights that put the game in the history books. That poker boom was primarily spurred by Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event victory, courtesy of a PokerStars satellite tournament online.

Online poker sites popped up everywhere in the years that followed. Every sports betting site established an online poker vertical, and every player logged on to at least one of them to live their version of the poker dream. There was merchandise to win, fame to claim, tournament travel packages to win, and millions of dollars on the line. Poker was on every computer and television, and everyone could dream of becoming a poker pro.

However, the US government made a move that began to change it all. In 2006, the United States Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which was subsequently signed into law. Its language was murky, but it was threatening enough to force several online poker operators – most notably PartyPoker – out of the US market.

Several years later, on a day that became known as Black Friday, the US Department of Justice seized the domains of PokerStars, Full Tilt, UltimateBet, and Absolute Poker on April 15, 2011. The indictments of online poker executives and the shutdown of insolvent companies created a snowball effect that changed the poker world forever.

The poker boom was over. And a new era of nation-based poker markets began.

Pieces of the Poker Pie

Governments in some nations around the world began to see internet poker as an industry that only benefited the companies themselves, and governments were not receiving what they viewed as their fair share of the revenues.

Italy was one of the first countries to call for a ban on dot-com poker sites and require operators to obtain licensing from the Italian government to service only Italian players. This gave the Italian regulator, AAMS (Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stado), the ability to control what type of gambling was offered in the country and the revenue derived from it.

Other countries followed suit. France, Spain, and Portugal were just a few of the countries in Europe that took the same approach, establishing regimes within their borders to keep players from competing on dot-com poker sites.

While all of these countries believed they were grabbing their pieces of the poker pie, they neglected to realize that online poker thrived because of the liquidity, the ability for players around the world to compete at the same tables, which allowed sites to offer bigger cash games, tournaments, satellites, etc. When countries separated their players from the rest of the world, the liquidity disappeared, and so did much of the appeal created by the poker boom.

Building Partnerships

Regulators in Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal began to see the benefits of liquidity. And they figured out a way to share players – thereby enhancing the player pools and opportunities – while also keeping the revenue from sites registered within their countries.

In the summer of 2017, after several years of talks among the four regulators, their representatives gathered in Rome to sign an agreement to share online poker action.

The process moved quickly for Portugal, which had only one poker site – PokerStars – registered in its market. In fact, PokerStars was the only site available in all four countries, and it also had experience with the technology necessary to establish a shared poker network. Spain and France launched their combined PokerStars tables in the first quarter of 2018, and Portugal soon joined as well.

From there, it took only a few months for PartyPoker to share its French and Spanish poker players, and Winamax did the same shortly thereafter. Most recently, the iPoker network of sites that includes BetClic, Betfair, Unibet, and Casino Barcelona, received its final approval to share poker online in France and Spain and will launch before the end of 2018.

As the European market grows, players in those countries can return to the tables with more tournaments, bigger guarantees, and more opportunities to play the kind of lucrative games that were available during the poker boom.

Future Growth

The growth of the shared EU online poker market is limited due to the number of players in those countries. And without the cooperation of Italy, which is now working toward more online gaming bans due to a change in governmental views, there is a cap as to how big the market can become.

Countries like Switzerland and Sweden are opening their markets to licensing and could soon have regulated markets that are solid and seeking growth. That growth is available in the European partnership that is already established and showing what shared poker liquidity can do. Further growth lies in new markets joining that partnership.


Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: EU Online Poker Market Took Big Leaps Forward in 2018

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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UFC Champion Valentina Shevchenko Joins Stake as Global Brand Ambassador

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Leading betting platform Stake proudly announces that Ultimate Fighting Championship (“UFC”) Women’s Flyweight World Champion, Valentina Shevchenko, has signed on as a Global Ambassador for the brand.

One of the most iconic and celebrated athletes in combat sports, Shevchenko currently reigns as the UFC Flyweight World Champion and holds the coveted No. 1 spot in the UFC’s Women’s Pound-for-Pound rankings. A Muay Thai specialist from Kyrgyzstan, Shevchenko has dominated the MMA world since her UFC debut in 2015, and continues to build her legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats. She will next defend her title on May 11 against top contender Manon Fiorot of France.

With this partnership, Shevchenko joins a championship roster of Stake ambassadors that includes UFC stars Merab Dvalishvili, Alexandre Pantoja, Max Holloway, Alex Pereira, and Israel Adesanya.

Speaking on the partnership, Shevchenko said:

“Stake has become one of the most important and exciting partners of the UFC, and I’m proud to now be a Global Ambassador for the brand. Stake is the home of champions, and I’m excited to work with its incredible team.”

Akhil Sarin, Chief Marketing Officer at Stake, added:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Valentina to the Stake family. It’s rare to see a true legend of the sport still performing at the absolute highest level, and we’re excited to build a long and successful partnership together.  We feel that the Stake brand is now synonymous with the UFC, and our relationships with the very best athletes in the sport helps us continue to grow in the MMA sphere.”

The post UFC Champion Valentina Shevchenko Joins Stake as Global Brand Ambassador appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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PRace launches as gambling industry’s first truly integrated B2B marketing agency

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Having already serviced 10 big-brand industry clients since 2024, Nicholas Brown and Aiste Garneviciene announce official launch

PRace, a new disruptor marketing agency focused exclusively on the B2B gambling industry, has today announced its official launch – bringing a transformative, data-driven approach to lead generation and sales.

PRace aims to revolutionise how B2B marketing is delivered by offering the first truly comprehensive and integrated service, with a core specialisation in data-driven lead generation and the creation of end-to-end sales funnels.

Leveraging deep industry expertise, PRace has already grown to a 15-person team of industry experts since its inception.

PRace’s approach fills a significant gap in B2B marketing left by its traditional competitor agencies, offering a serious competitive advantage for both PRace and its clients.

The agency was founded under the radar in 2024 by industry experts Nicholas Brown, formerly of Square in the Air, and Aiste Garneviciene, former COO of BetGames and SBC Leader of the Year 2020.

With Relax Gaming and Amelco as its founding clients, PRace now counts more than 10 top-tier industry brands in its portfolio – as well as approaching more than one million Euros in annual projected revenue.

Following today’s official launch announcement, the agency will be publicly announcing its leadership team in the coming weeks.

Commenting on the launch, Nicholas Brown, Co-Founder of PRace, said: “Having been in marketing since the early 2010s –and being instrumental in building the success of Square in the Air, I saw a clear opportunity to address a significant gap in the market alongside a fantastic friend and former client, Aiste Garneviciene.

“The B2B gambling industry is ripe for a more sophisticated, data-led approach to marketing that goes beyond traditional services. We’re here to deliver exactly what every other B2B marketing agency already does outside of our industry – using data-driven strategies to create demand, leads and sales.”

Co-Founder and CEO of PRace, Aiste Garneviciene, commented:As one of the founding team members of BetGames in 2012, I know firsthand what it takes to truly build and scale a brand. From establishing credibility and educating the market – to driving qualified leads and sales.

“Each stage demands a different strategy and PRace is the first agency that can deliver that. We’re bringing a fresh perspective, deep industry expertise and a proven methodology that’s already serviced 10 top-tier clients. If you’re ready to make marketing your biggest growth engine – get in touch!”

The post PRace launches as gambling industry’s first truly integrated B2B marketing agency appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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CopyBet reinforces its commitment to sports betting integrity via IBIA membership

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CopyBet has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), increasing its integrity monitoring coverage in the UK and globally, covering current and future markets. The collaboration will enable integrity data from CopyBet’s online betting platform to be shared with IBIA’s global monitoring network, which includes over 80 companies and 140 sports betting brands monitoring over $300bn per annum in betting turnover.

Anton Ivanov, Business Development Director, CopyBet UK, said: “Responsible gambling, and looking after our customers, is part of our core values at CopyBet, and joining the International Betting Integrity Association will enable us to continue providing safe gambling conditions for our players. We look forward to working with IBIA and support its mission of protecting the integrity of the industry.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “IBIA is pleased to welcome CopyBet as our newest member to our growing association. This partnership strengthens our global monitoring network and reinforces our shared commitment to protecting the integrity of sport and regulated betting markets. We look forward to working closely with CopyBet to detect and deter betting-related corruption and to protect the integrity of the markets offered to consumers.”

CopyBet operates under the UK Gambling Commission Licence and Class B bookmaker’s licence in Cyprus, and is a unique bookmaker that allows customers to copy the bets of top tipsters alongside a traditional Sportsbook. CopyBet is the Official Front of Shirt Partner of Queens Park Rangers Football Club in the EFL Championship, as well as AEK Larnaca, PΑC Omonia 29M, Enosis Neon Paralimni, and Aris Limassol in the Cyprus First Division.

IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and was established by operators, for operators, to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing.

IBIA’s global monitoring and alert network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets. Through the IBIA monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. Additional functionality was added in 2024, with that technological upgrade enhancing the association’s ability to detect and report suspicious activity on its members’ betting markets.

The post CopyBet reinforces its commitment to sports betting integrity via IBIA membership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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