Portugal to delay online poker until November – reports

Portugal is to delay the launch of its regulated online poker market until at least November, according to various reports in the country.

Last year, Portugal approved regulation to legalise online gaming in the country, a move that led to the withdrawal of several major brands, including online poker brands PokerStars and Full Tilt.

The country has so far only awarded one online licence in the form of a sports betting licence to Betclic Everest, which launched its services in time for the ongoing Euro 2016 national football team tournament.

However, despite this launch, reports in the Portuguese media suggest that the country will not go live with a regulated online poker service until later this year, due to issues regarding shared liquidity.

Portuguese regulator Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) originally stated that the country’s online poker market would be limited to players in the country and liquidity would not be shared with other jurisdictions.

However, in April of this year, Portuguese players’ association ANAon said that the SRIJ would allow shared liquidity, with the regulator last week releasing a statement proposing its plans.

Should the SRIJ proceed with its proposal, it would need to submit the plans to the European Commission, with countries across the continent then given three months to state their opinion on the matter.

As a result, such a service would not be able to go live until November at the earliest.

Related article: Betclic Everest takes first online betting licence in Portugal