Online poker operator PokerStars is set to enter Switzerland’s regulated iGaming market about two years after it originally announced its plans to rejoin the space after its reorganization.
The major brand will return to the Swiss market through a partnership with Casino Davos and its online casino operation Casino777.ch.
According to poker news outlet Poker Industry PRO, PokerStars will launch its platform in the early days of July. It will deliver its products to Swiss players via a PokerStars.ch website. PRO explained that accounts and deposits will be handled by Casino777.ch, but new players will be able to open an account through PokerStars.ch.
Once the new poker site goes live, Swiss customers will be offered access to PokerStars’ entire offering, including big international tournaments that the operator regularly organizes. Many of these generate multi-million prize pools that are distributed among a set number of their participants.
Initially, PokerStars will be available in the Swiss market via a desktop client that players can download after their account has been verified. The operator’s platform will also be available to Android users upon its launch in Switzerland. An iOS app for Apple users is expected to be approved and rolled out soon after launch.
Not Without Challenges
Of the upcoming launch of PokerStars in Switzerland, Casino777 Chief Gaming Officer Robert Kocher said that their partner’s offering is likely to become available by early July. Mr. Kocher assumed his current role in February and said that the integration with PokerStars has been one of his priorities since day one.
He said that he “can assure everyone that the joint teams from PokerStars and Casino777 are working almost around the clock in order to be able to go live as quickly as possible” and that preparatory work for the upcoming rollout has been going on for months.
Mr. Kocher further noted that the project has not gone completely without challenges as they had to make sure all provisions of Switzerland’s gambling law are fully complied with “for example with regard to player protection or money laundering prevention.”
PokerStars quit the Swiss market in 2019 ahead of the reorganization and regulation of the local market in July of that year. The operator, now part of Irish gambling powerhouse Flutter Entertainment, said at the time that it was looking for ways to return to Switzerland’s iGaming space.
Casino777.ch went live in September 2019 to become one of the first regulated online casinos in the Swiss market after its reorganization. The site is powered by Gaming1, a subsidiary of Belgian casino operator Ardent Group.
Source: PokerStars to return to Switzerland with Casino Davos deal, iGaming Business, June 25, 2021
