Online poker operator partypoker has temporarily suspended operations in the Czech Republic in the wake of the recent implementation of new iGaming regulations. The announcement comes on the very same day when another popular brand – PokerStars – is set to officially enter the local market.
Czech poker website Poker-Arena reported that Czech players can no longer play for real money on partypoker and its sister brand bwin. As from today, local grinders are welcomed by a message that they are accessing the website from a jurisdiction where the operator is not authorized to provide its services in. Here it is important to note that registered players will be able to withdraw their funds, but deposits have been blocked.
However, it has been confirmed that partypoker has been working closely with local authorities to obtain a license. The online poker operator is expected to enter the newly regulated Czech market as a licensed business very soon.
As mentioned above, another major player on the online poker scene is set to go live in the Czech Republic today. PokerStars informed local players on Wednesday that it is to launch its .cz website after being granted a license by the Czech Ministry of Finance, the local body charged with iGaming licensure. Thus, the world’s biggest card room has become the first international online poker operator to commence operations in Czechia’s recently regulated market.
The legalization and regulation of iGaming services had been on the Central European country’s radar screen for years. However, the effort was boosted by a report that Czech players annually wagered around $6 billion on unregulated websites, money that could have been entering the country’s coffers. It was last year when a new regulatory framework was eventually approved by lawmakers.
The new law came into effect on January 1, 2017. However, local regulators were found to have failed preventing unlicensed operators from conducting operations within the first days after the new regulations were officially adopted.
An international non-governmental organization – Transparency International (TI) – and its Czech branch have committed to keeping a close eye on how the industry is regulated and protected from violators. TI is set to probe into regulators’ progress towards clearing the market from trespassers and implementing stricter measures to provide players with a safe gambling environment in April, or three months after its first call for adequate actions.
