PokerStars Launches PokerStars.eu

On Monday, utilizing its new gaming license in Malta, PokerStars launched www.pokerstars.eu to the benefit of players in several European markets. Initially, the site will only be accessible to players in Sweden and Finland, but will open to other European markets in the near future.

The main reason for the new site was to address an issue with taxation of gambling winnings in some European countries. Players in Sweden and Finland are taxed up to 50 percent of their online gambling winnings, if those winnings are earned outside of the EU. But Malta, a member of the EU, does not tax gambling winnings, so Poker players from those nations will now be able to play tax-free on the dot.eu site.

Guy Templer, Head of Business Development at PokerStars put it this way: “Some markets treat European Union-licensed operators differently than other license-holders. Offering our online poker on www.pokerstars.eu with a Maltese license provides benefits to players in Sweden and Finland in particular and we are always striving to offer the best product possible to our players, wherever they are located.”

Players in Sweden and Finland can update their existing software and re-register their accounts to www.pokerstars.eu. All accounts details, including VIP status and points, will be automatically transferred to the dot.eu site.