PokerStars has received the first Bulgarian License to offer online poker in the country.
“The Gambling Commission’s decision to award PokerStars a license underscores the company’s commitment to be among the first companies to enter regulated markets when licenses become available,” the company said in a press release. “Bulgarian regulations now permit residents to play online poker with licensed operators, but so far, no other online poker site has been given permission to operate in the country.”
Bulgarian-owned Eurofootball limited and Toto.bg are the only other operators to have been licensed for online play in the country.
PokerStars said it will re-launch its dot-bg website under the new license. The poker room will have the same international player pool as the dot-com network.
“Bulgaria is full of promise,” Eric Hollreiser, the Head of Corporate Communications for PokerStars said in a release. “Poker is extremely popular in the country and recently we have seen some notable results from Bulgarian players including Dimitar Danchev, who won the 2013 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event for $1,859,000. We are delighted with today’s news and we are looking forward to work with the Gambling Commission so that we can launch as soon as possible.”
The Bulgarian gambling commission was established to regulate gambling under a new law that began in July 2012. Last year, the country reduced its proposed taxes on online sites from 15 percent of revenues to 20 percent of profits. PokerStars and Betfair then applied for licenses in January.
