888Poker returns to Portugal

The first significant news for 888 poker room in 2019: one of the leading companies in the online gambling market announced that it has received a permit to operate in Portugal. Based on the license for Portuguese players, a special client will be created, allowing only Portuguese and persons living in the country to play. Despite such a limitation, the official license to provide its services is an important step on the way, first to unification with the rest of the Europul poker countries (it includes Spain, France, Portugal and, rather conditionally, Italy), and in the medium term, perhaps, and the creation of a universal market that includes the rest of European states. Until then, Pokerstars was the only operator providing poker services.

A little about the history of poker Europool

A little more than 13 months ago, Europul started operating, which is the first legal association of poker representatives from Europe in a single poker space (previously there were exclusively poker reservations that allowed only residents of one country to compete with each other). It originally included Spain, France, Portugal and Italy. About poker in Italy, let us make a reservation that although it stood at the origins of European poker players going beyond the national bubbles, however, players from this country are still deprived of the opportunity to participate in the general pool. The reason lies in the change of government and, as a result, the revision of the position in relation to gambling in the direction of toughening the legislation and freezing steps for the infusion of Italian representatives into the single European poker traffic. The numbers after the reunification of players in a single poker rush is moderately optimistic: Pokerstars.eu is seeing a 10% increase compared to its launch a year ago. The uptick in attendance is seen as even more encouraging when the fact that the total number of players at the Stars has dropped. Ipoker.eu has the most inspiring success - traffic has grown by almost 20%.

Development prospects

However, due to the economic and demographic characteristics of European countries, the further attraction of new players and the growth of interest in poker is questionable. The most obvious and promising option for the development and promotion of poker is to increase the representation of states in the pool. In 2019, Switzerland and Sweden may join, which created the legislative framework last year for the emergence of an internal online poker market, and then - and beyond the reservations. And given the fact that they will move along the beaten track, it is possible that by the end of 2019 a European pool will appear at the 888 poker room as well.

Another direction of movement of European poker - expansion to South America - cannot be discounted: the Latin American network Aconcagua Poker recently received the right to provide services of gaming operators in Spain. Coupled with the practice, when representatives of other countries are allowed to play in Spanish stars, similar actions seem very likely, allowing players from South America and Europe to be brought together.