Estonia Legalises Online Poker But Limits Operators

Estonia has legalised all online gambling including poker but operators must obtain a licence in the country before being able to operate legally.

According to the Estonia Free Press local operators can apply for a licence immediately and international operators will be able to apply from 2011.

The Olympic Entertainment Group has said it plans to apply for a licence and launch in the near future and has partnered with Playtech, owner of the iPoker network, to provide it with platforms for its games.

Olympic Entertainment Group managing director Andri Avila said, “It is not our primary aim to seek new customers, instead we hope that the people spending time in online casinos would henceforward prefer the brand they already know and trust.”

The group, which owns Olympic Casinos across the Baltic and Eastern European states, holds many respected national and international poker tournaments at its properties.

However, Imre Leibold, (pictured) an Estonian poker player who recently came fifth in the Unibet Open in Warsaw, told Baltic Business News in December that players were worried about the development, specifically the potential restrictions on currently operating poker sites.

“The possibility that online poker gaming could be restricted is not good news for us,” he said. “I believe and hope that the whole affair is resolved and that there will be several reasonable gaming locations on the market. However, if things get tough, one may have to consider moving residence or start working abroad like Estonian builders in Finland.”

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