- In total, there are twelve online gambling operators that have received a Swedish license that have already gone live with online poker.
- Online poker rooms and networks live include PokerStars, partypoker, 888, Unibet, MPN and iPoker.
- GG Network’s online skin, Best Poker, is still readying to go live.
- iPoker has only one skin, while MPN has a total of six across three companies.
In Europe’s largest coordinated regulatory launch in years, thirteen online poker rooms across seven networks are now live in Sweden’s newly regulated online gaming market.
Swedish players have the choice of PokerStars (or its sibling Full Tilt Poker), Unibet, partypoker, iPoker (via the bet365 skin), half a dozen choices on the Microgaming poker network, and the previously state-owned and former online gambling monopoly provider Svenska Spel.
GVC was one of the first to tout its successful launch with a statement to analysts and investors Tuesday. The company went live with sports betting, casino and poker across two brands.
“We are delighted to get the year off to a positive start with the launch of bwin.se and partypoker.se,” said Shay Segev, GVC’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are confident that Swedish customers will enjoy what we believe is the best and most comprehensive online gaming experience in the market.
B2B casino and poker developer Microgaming was also quick to trumpet its launch.
“Sweden is a significant market for Microgaming,” said Andrew Clucas, Chief Operating Officer at the company, which launched its poker network along with its full suite of casino products this week. Six operators launched online poker on the network this week. “We are thrilled to offer our operators in the region a fully integrated solution to ensure compliance in line with regulations set by the Swedish Gaming Authority.”
“This move continues our strategic expansion in key regulated markets, working closely with regulators and supporting operators as they grow their offering with our diverse portfolio of content built with player protection in mind,” he added.
Swedish Experience
For many online poker players, the transition will be fairly seamless, with some operators using the same websites and online poker clients. Some of the larger operators have dedicated Swedish software which requires a separate install.
Either way, once set up, the online poker experience will be quite similar to how it was before. There are no restrictions on poker games spread, limits available or tournaments scheduled. The player pool remains connected to the global “dot-com” player pool, so the game volume will be the same as last year.
