bwin launches online poker in France

"As with sports betting, we were able to launch poker at the earliest possible opportunity because we were well prepared. We have thus achieved our goal of becoming the very first mover in the newly regulated French market", said Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG, expressing his delight. bwin marked the launch with a broad line-up of cash games and tournaments. Due to regulatory requirements, only Omaha und Texas Hold’em are available.

On 8 June, bwin was the only international online gaming provider to be awarded a sports betting and poker license for the French online gaming market in the first phase of licensing. The sports betting line-up went online right on the day the license was awarded. The company's declared goal is to take on a leading role in the newly regulated French online gaming market. Through a joint venture with the French media group Éditions Philippe Amaury (Amaury Group), bwin operates not only bwin.fr in France but also the brand SAjOO.

It remains to be seen to what extent the French regulator succeeds in establishing a fair competitive situation. Operators licensed in France are still up against illegal providers who are neither willing to comply with statutory requirements nor inclined to pay taxes. To warrant a successful market opening, bwin expects the responsible authorities to give highest priority to stamping out the existing black market.

France is the third large European country, following Italy and the UK, to regulate its online gaming market. Denmark has adopted a pertinent law too and is set to open its online gaming market in January 2011. Positive signals are also coming from Spain, Germany and a number of US states. "A growing number of countries is coming to realise that online gaming is by far the most transparent and controllable form of gaming once reputable operators are licensed and clear standards have been established", says Norbert Teufelberger.

The bwin Group has over 20 million registered customers in more than 25 core markets and operates a number of platforms offering sports betting, poker, casino games, fortune and skill games as well as audio and video streams of top sporting events such as the German football Bundesliga.