PokerStars First Operator To Launch Regulated iPoker In Bulgaria

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Friday, August 8th, 2014 | Written by Stephen Smith

In July 2013, PokerStars was added to Bulgaria’s infamous black list of unapproved online gambling operators but after a series of negotiations with the Bulgarian State Gambling Commission (SGC) the poker room was eventually granted the country’s first regulated online gaming license at the beginning of this year. Commenting at the time, Eric Hollreiser, the Head of Corporate Communications for PokerStars, stated:

“Bulgaria is full of promise. Poker is extremely popular in the country and we are delighted with the news and are looking forward to work with the Gambling Commission so that we can launch as soon as possible.”

Six months after the license was awarded, PokerStars has now officially launched its product in Bulgaria, thus giving players the opportunity to compete with other players from across the globe using its PokerStars.bg website. PokerStars now holds separate government licenses in a number of European countries, including France, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Belgium, and Germany.

Bulgaria’s first licensed poker site

Following announcement of the site’s launch, the company expressed satisfaction in the confidence shown by the Bulgarian State Gambling Commission in its platform, with Eric Hollreiser, stating:

“PokerStars strives to be first-in-market when online poker licenses are made available and we’re proud to be the first locally licensed poker site in Bulgaria. We believe in the potential of the Bulgarian market and that is why our company has invested in the local license.”

Global player pool

Bulgaria has wisely chosen not to restrict its players to its own country but, instead, allow them to compete against other players internationally. This puts PokerStars.bg in the same category as places such as Denmark, Estonia and Belgium, which also feed their players into the bigger .com and .eu player pools of PokerStars.

Conversely, bigger poker markets such as France, Italy and Spain have chosen to ring-fence their own player pools and have seen their online traffic and revenues continue to slide ever since. A similar situation has been noted in the regulated markets of Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey, making one wonder why the different poker jurisdictions would decide to go that way instead of sharing pools of players and even forming their own poker networks.

Launch coincides with PokerStars 7 release

The launch of PokerStars.bg coincides with the official rolling out of its new PokerStars 7 client, representing the biggest update in the site’s 12 year history and described as “the next evolutionary step for the world’s biggest online poker site.”

The new software is currently in beta for .com, .eu and .es clients., and promises cleaner graphics and a more refined feel complete with a number of added features, such as a new favourites tab for games and tournaments, and a one-click Quick Seat function. As PokerStars Head of Poker Communications, Lee Jones, explains:

“Over the last few years, we have invested countless hours to research, design and develop this new iteration of our flagship software. We believe this release is friendlier for new players and more intuitive and powerful for our veterans. So now we’re inviting our players to test the beta version of the software and help us ensure that it meets the high standards that everyone expects of PokerStars.”

Temporary monopoly in Bulgaria

PokerStars now enjoys a monopoly in Bulgaria’s regulated online poker market, but that advantage may not last for long as in recent times the country has become a more attractive proposition for foreign operators, especially after legislators overturned the country’s restrictive gaming tax of 15% on turnover to a more acceptable 20% of gross gaming revenue, instead.

Already, Betfair has been granted a license by the State Gambling Commission (SGC), although it has yet to offer online poker, whilst PokerStars’ sister site Full Tilt Poker is “in the process of applying for a gaming license.”

Meanwhile, PokerStars can make the most of its temporary advantage by promoting some of Bulgaria’s most successful poker players, such as Dimitar Danchev, Simeon Naydenov, and Atanas Gueorguiev. Dimitar Danchev is the country’s all time money winner with $3,371,269 in earnings, his biggest score coming in 2013 at the $10k PCA Main Event which he won for $1,859,000. Simeon Naydenov is second with $1,163,280 in earnings, including winning a WSOP bracelet in 2013 at the $1,500 NL Shootout for $326,440; while Atanas Gueorguiev has earned $1,164,832 from live tournaments, including a 4th place finish at the €3,500 PaddyPower Irish Open for €163,300 ($216,068).