Amaya Inc., parent group of Pokerstars and Full Tilt, has announced that both operations will be withdrawing from the Slovenian market on July 4.
In similar fashion to the exit from Israel a few days ago (see previous report) the notification to players assures them that their accounts and positive balances remain secure and can be withdrawn at any time.
The exit is believed to be in order to comply with national online gambling regulatory moves that could disqualify operators who continue to service Slovenian players before legalisation and licensing is legislatively finalised.
Similar concerns have seen operators withdrawing from both the Dutch and Portuguese markets in recent months.
The notification to players advises:
“We hope that we will be able to return to the market in due course, and will continue to support the implementation of fair and consistent regulation that serves the needs of all stakeholders and includes a strong commitment to consumer protection, particularly of vulnerable people, in Slovenia.
“There is already a successful framework for such regulation in Europe and PokerStars is currently licensed in 12 EU countries. We hope to apply for a license in Slovenia when it is possible.”
The company later advised:
“We do not currently expect to withdraw services from any other locations in the foreseeable future.”