Just a few weeks ago, online poker shared liquidity between Spain and France was launched, and the market has already become the third largest. The launch was a result of an agreement that was reached last summer between the two countries, as well as Portugal and Italy.
Portugal and Italy are expected to join at some point in the near future, but another country has already jumped in ahead of them. Players from the island country of Malta can sign up and play against Spanish and French opponents.
On Tuesdays, Italian poker news source AssoPoker, reported that players on Malta can legally sign up on PokerStars Europe, the new site created for online poker liquidity due to a loophole in Spain’s online poker regulations. That loophole says that players in other countries can legally register accounts on the .es gambling websites.
PokerStars was aware of the loophole and exploited it when the online poker portal launched PokerStars Europe, paving the way for players from foreign countries to participate.
Many professional poker players have for years set up their residence on Malta. The same for some of Europe’s largest gambling companies, who list the tiny island as their headquarters. This is due not only to the year-round nice weather, but to the significant tax savings afforded to Malta residents and businesses.
European players should hurry if they want to take advantage of the loophole. In early February, the Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ) regulatory body approved regulations governing the technical requirements for Portuguese-licensed online poker sites , such as PokerStars, to share liquidity with sites in the regulated online gambling markets of France and Spain. Once Italy and Portugal join forces with Spain and France, industry experts anticipate that the PokerStars Europe platform will be obligated to block poker action to those who only reside in one of the four countries that signed the pact last year.
