PokerStars has launched a brand new Europe-facing website, known simply as PokerStars.eu. Designed to address financial and legal concerns in several of the continent’s playing markets, the website launched this past Monday.
This development was made possible by the company’s recent acquisition of a Remote Gaming License on the island of Malta. With fully legal operations now operating in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, and the Isle of Man, PokerStars decided that the timing was right for the launch of a more ambitious venture.
So, what’s the advantage to playing on PokerStars.eu? The answer, unsurprisingly, is cash. This applies specifically to players in Finland and Sweden, who will see a sharp decrease in taxes while playing at the new venue. Previously, users in those nations had been charged up to a 50 percent tax on their winnings, putting a severe damper on their profit margin. But since Malta (who happens to be a member of the European Union) doesn’t tax that sort of thing, they can now keep the lion’s share of their earnings.
“Some markets,” said Guy Templer, Head of Business Development for PokerStars, “treat European Union-licensed operators differently than other license-holders. Offering our online poker on www.pokerstars.eu with a Maltese license provides benefits to players in Sweden and Finland in particular and we are always striving to offer the best product possible to our players, wherever they are located.”
For those already possessing a PokerStars account, making the switch to the new site should be easy. Simply by updating their software and re-registering on the dot.eu version, players will instantly reclaim all of the information of their previous account, including VIP and promotional data.
While no new promotions have been announced for the site, one can bet that its only a matter of time before the folks at PokerStars cook up some sort of deal or tournament series.