PokerStars has withdrawn from yet another country where it was operating in the gray market.
Amaya Gaming, the parent company of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker recently announced that both online poker websites will be exiting from Slovenia with effect from July 4.
This move comes just days after the company decided to exit the Israeli market where it had been operating for many years in the gray market.
In a statement, PokerStars said
Our management team regularly review our operations market-by- market to assess commercial opportunities and business risks for our brands. Following a recent review, we have decided to stop offering real-money games to players who are physically located in, or have a registered address in, Slovenia from July 4, 2016.
Representatives from the site have stated that player balances in their accounts are secure and players would be able to withdraw their real money deposits in their accounts at their convenience. A special section dedicated to important questions and answers has been set up at the site to provide all necessary information and help players through the process.
Amaya has assured players from other countries where it operates that it has no further plans to withdraw from any more markets in the near future.
PokerStars is the world’s largest poker site who has recently been exiting markets where gambling is not legalized in a bid to avoid attracting bad actor clauses which can jeopardize its standing particularly in the U.S online gambling market.
The state of New Jersey where PokerStars started operations earlier this year has strict provisions regarding bad actors. The ongoing debate in the Californian online gaming bill legislation has also involved concerns regarding allowing bad actors like PokerStars who benefitted from operating in gray markets to enter the Californian market. Stakeholders have in fact blocked the passage of the California online bill stating that until substantial penalties for bad actors are incorporated, they will not support the bill.
PokerStars has expressed hope that will be able to enter Slovenia’s gaming market again and provide gaming services to residents of Slovenia once the country passes the requisite online gaming legislation.
Amaya said that it supports the implementation of fair and consistent regulation since that ensures that the interests of consumers are protected. The company also pointed out that it was a licensed operator in 12 EU countries as a result of an already existing successful gaming regulation framework in Europe.