Amaya-owned PokerStars and Full Tilt have confirmed that they are to withdraw their services from the Portuguese market, but expect to return to the country in the near future.
In an email to affiliates in the country, the PokerStars Partners Team said the operator’s affiliate program will “no longer accept players from Portugal until further notice”.
Affiliates have also been instructed to remove all marketing materials from their websites and all other marketing efforts should cease immediately.
The move comes after Portugal began operating under a new online gambling regime, which came into effect on June 29.
Those operators that are interested in continuing to operate in Portugal are now withdrawing from the country ahead of a new licence application process that will begin in September.
William Hill is one of a number of operators to have already confirmed that it is to exit the market.
In the email sent to affiliates, PokerStars said that it intends to apply for a new licence and could be operational again in the country later this year,
“[We] fully expect to apply for a license in Portugal so that we can provide a fun, safe and competitive environment for Portuguese consumers to enjoy online poker,” the email said.
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
