Connect with us
728x90 banner available here

Latest News

EU Online Poker Market Took Big Leaps Forward in 2018

Published

on

EU Online Poker Market Took Big Leaps Forward in 2018Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

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.

Latest News

SYNOT Games expands in Western Europe, partnership with Belgium’s Loco Casino

Published

on

Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

SYNOT Games, a leading casino content provider, has announced a new strategic collaboration with Loco Casino, marking another significant milestone in the company’s ongoing expansion across Europe. Through this partnership, a diverse portfolio of SYNOT’s dice games is now live and available to Belgian players.

This launch reinforces SYNOT Games‘ commitment to entering regulated markets exclusively and underscores the company’s focus on partnering with licensed, high-quality operators. The integration was made possible via the Peppermill aggregator platform, a long-standing and trusted partner known for its robust infrastructure and seamless delivery capabilities.

“We are proud to see our content go live with Loco Casino, a respected and fully licensed platform in Belgium,” said Martina Krajčí, CCO at SYNOT Games.

“This partnership affirms our dedication to expanding in strictly regulated jurisdictions and bringing innovative, high-quality products to discerning players. Our dice games portfolio perfectly fits the Belgian market, and we are confident it will deliver strong engagement.”

Loco Casino’s management echoed this sentiment, highlighting the value of SYNOT Games’ product quality and innovative offerings.

“SYNOT Games has a reputation for delivering engaging content and effective retention tools, which aligns perfectly with our vision for the Belgian market,” said Dylan Bonczyk, Brand Operations Manager at Loco Casino. 

“We are excited to enrich our offering with SYNOT’s unique dice games, which we believe will resonate strongly with our players.”

The launch is the latest step in SYNOT Games’ broader strategy to solidify its presence in Europe’s most prominent regulated markets. By delivering localized, premium content and working with reliable aggregation platforms like Peppermill, the company continues to build strong relationships with top-tier operators.

This partnership emphasizes SYNOT Games‘ mission to provide visually striking and technically advanced games and tools designed to enhance player retention and long-term engagement, all within the boundaries of licensed, compliant environments.

The post SYNOT Games expands in Western Europe, partnership with Belgium’s Loco Casino appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

BETER Shortlisted in Nine Categories at the Baltic and Scandinavian Gaming Awards 2025

Published

on

Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

BETER is proud to announce that we have been shortlisted in nine categories at the Baltic and Scandinavian Gaming (BSG) Awards 2025, organized by HIPTHER. This recognition highlights our continued commitment to delivering top-tier esports, sports betting content and solutions across key European markets.

Our nominations reflect excellence in both Baltic and Nordic categories:

Baltic Categories:

  • Best Esports Service Provider in the Baltics
  • Rising Star in Baltic Sports Betting Technology
  • Best Virtual Sports Provider in the Baltics
  • Rising Star in Baltic Virtual Sports

Nordic Categories:

  • Best Esports Service Provider in the Nordics
  • Best Sports Betting Provider in the Nordics
  • Rising Star in Nordic Sports Betting Technology
  • Best Virtual Sports Provider in the Nordics
  • Rising Star in Nordic Virtual Sports

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported us during the voting process. Your trust and recognition inspire us to keep innovating and delivering outstanding content and solutions tailored to the needs of operators and players in these dynamic regions.

The winners will be revealed on 27 May 2025 during the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit in Vilnius — stay tuned!

The post BETER Shortlisted in Nine Categories at the Baltic and Scandinavian Gaming Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER® BRINGS THE WSOP+ APP ONLINE IN LAS VEGAS TO ENHANCE PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

Limit time spent waiting in line this summer by pre-registering now for WSOP 2025

The World Series of Poker (WSOP®) today announced the rollout of its WSOP+ app, which is now available in time for WSOP 2025. The app will revolutionize the participant experience at the WSOP, allowing players to register for and buy into their preferred WSOP live events ahead of time, bypassing the long queues sometimes seen at the registration cage in the hours before the start of each tournament.

Additionally, WSOP+ features a virtual waiting list and paging system, allowing participants to receive push notifications when their seat becomes available. Players will no longer have to wait in physical late registration lines and instead will be placed into a virtual queue in sequential order. The WSOP+ app will also feature curated content and become a one-stop shop for key information such as the WSOP schedule of events, structure sheets, rules, chip counts, daily results, next day’s seat assignments, prizes, and much more.

Participants planning to play at the WSOP in Las Vegas this summer are encouraged to first visit wsop.com/registration to review the registration process before downloading the new WSOP+ app on iOS or Android at WSOPPlus.com. All WSOP 2025 participants should utilize an iOS or Android smartphone device to ensure an optimal playing experience with the WSOP+ app.

“WSOP+ will further elevate the WSOP experience for all of our players,” said Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP. “Not only can our community now save time and effort by registering in advance for their favorite tournaments, but the app will also showcase WSOP content and all of the important event information that participants are eager to have at their fingertips!”

“The advantages of bringing WSOP+ online in time for the next World Series of Poker in Las Vegas are endless,” said Jack Effel, Senior Vice President of Poker Operations and World Series of Poker at Caesars Entertainment. “Players should feel an immediate positive impact on their experience when they arrive this summer. Beyond WSOP+’s advanced features, there’s no question this innovation should reduce wait times, allowing participants more time to get to the felt and enjoy the events they love.”

The WSOP+ app will take center stage at WSOP 2025, which returns for a fourth year to the Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas on the iconic Las Vegas Strip. The excitement begins on May 27 with Event #1 Mystery Millions, which guarantees a $1M top bounty, a first-place prize of at least $1M, and five Day 1 flights. A total of 100 gold bracelets will be available throughout the entire WSOP 2025 festival, which is headlined as always by the WSOP Main Event® (starting July 2 with Day 1A and concluding on July 16).

Participants interested in registering online for WSOP 2025 can now begin doing so. Participants who would prefer to register in person can do so at the main casino cage inside Paris Las Vegas starting May 15. In addition to creating a WSOP+ account, participants must also have a Caesars Rewards number – Caesars Rewards accounts can be created online or at any Caesars property. After completing a one-time, in-person ID verification at the WSOP cage, participants can register for events directly through the WSOP+ app and head straight to their tables – no need to wait in line.

Players are also currently able to qualify for the WSOP Main Event via live and online satellite tournaments. International players can join exclusive online satellites at GGPoker, the world’s biggest online poker room, while domestic US players can win their way in via WSOP Online.

More on Participant Verification:

Online pre-registrations require a one-time in-person verification onsite at the Online Registration area located inside the Champagne Ballroom within “Les Centre Des Conventions” at Paris Las Vegas. Participants must show their current, valid, and unexpired photo identification (passport, driver’s license, state identification card, or military identification card) acceptable to Host Properties at the WSOP Verification area.

If a Participant is not a U.S. citizen, participant must have one of the following that is current, valid, and unexpired: passport, foreign government issued Driver’s License (License must have a photograph, date of birth, and a valid expiration date), Consular ID or Matrícula Consular Card (Mexico only), or alien registration card is required. If the current, valid, and unexpired photo identification does not include a physical address, a second form of ID that indicates a physical address will be required. This second form of ID can be a driver’s license, utility bill, credit card statement, etc.

More on Available Payment Methods:

Participants utilizing WSOP+ to pay for their tournament tickets online will have several payment options this summer, including:

  • ACH (U.S. participants only)
  • Credit cards
  • PayPal
  • Luxon Pay (Non-U.S. participants only)
  • WSOP Online Qualifiers
  • Paris Tournament Accounts (funded in person at WSOP cage)

WSOP+ charges no fees for purchasing tournament tickets using ACH, PayPal, Luxon Pay, or Paris Tournament Account. A 3% fee will be applied to all Credit Card transactions only.

In-person payment options will include:

  • Cash
  • Paris Las Vegas or Horseshoe Las Vegas Casino Chips
  • Cashier’s Check (must be approved in advance by emailing a copy of the check to [email protected])

Wire Transfer will also be accepted for participants to fund their Paris Tournament Account, but requires a minimum deposit of $100,000 and must be approved in advance by emailing Director or Poker Operations, Andy Rich at [email protected].

Participants should follow @WSOP on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram or check WSOP.com for more event news and updates.

The post THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER® BRINGS THE WSOP+ APP ONLINE IN LAS VEGAS TO ENHANCE PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending

EEGaming.org is part of HIPTHER, parent brand of various prominent news outlets and international conferences. These platforms and events span a wide range of industries, including Entertainment, Technology, Gaming and Gambling, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, Quantum Technology, Legal Cannabis, Health and Lifestyle, VR/AR, eSports, and several others. This indicates that EEGaming.org is part of a larger network that focuses on a diverse array of sectors, particularly those related to cutting-edge technology and modern lifestyle trends.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 HIPTHER. All Rights Reserved. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania

We are constantly showing banners about important news regarding events and product launches. Please turn AdBlock off in order to see these areas.