Shared online poker liquidity emerged as a topic to be followed closely last summer when France amended its gambling laws in a manner that created favorable conditions for the establishment of an online poker network between several regulated European markets.
Almost a year later, many believe the creation of such a network is an event that may happen anytime now. Over the past twelve months regulators from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the UK, have met to discuss the technical norms that need to be met by all participants in the negotiations, the way online poker will be taxed in the merged environment, and other important regulatory matters.
Last fall, gambling representatives from the above-mentioned countries demonstrated positivism, saying that shared liquidity will become reality by mid-2017. Details recently revealed by Italy’s online gambling head Daria Petralia indicated that the first online poker network could be launched in late 2017 or early 2018.
Over the past several months, regulators from the five countries that initiated shared liquidity talks last year were joined by their colleagues from Austria and Germany. Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, hosted the most recent informal meeting between representatives of the regulatory bodies of all seven countries that now participate in shared liquidity talks.
It became clear from a press release by SRIJ (Serviços de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos), Portugal’s gambling regulator, that between May 10-12, participants in the meeting discussed several important gambling matters, including the introduction of more effective anti-money laundering and anti-fanincing terrorism measures, the protection of sports betting’s integrity, virtual currencies, administrative cooperations, etc.
There was no mention of online poker in the press release, which leads us to the question whether shared liquidity was discussed during the meeting. Spanish and Portuguese regulators have traditionally maintained a more reserved stance on the matter and have revealed little details and updates on where shared liquidity talks have stood at at one point or another.
The next informal meeting between regulators is slated to take place in October in Rome. According to SRIJ’s press release, the integrity of the sports betting market will be the main topic of discussion at that upcoming meeting.
The lack of information from SRIJ should not immediately be interpreted as any potential stall in shared liquidity talks, particularly when bearing in mind the recent news about the online poker network’s possible late-2017 launch.
However, with the UK currently preparing itself to leave the European Union, its participation in the future shared liquidity agreements may be in serious danger. Although it seems that the country is still interested in merging its player pool with those of other regulated European markets, it not being part of the EU may complicate its participation in the initiative.
