PokerStars has increased its Spanish liquidity ahead of expected Spanish regulation in early 2012 with the acquisition of the Spanish iPoker skin Cara de Poker.
According to the announcement on the CaraDePoker.com website posted Wednesday, player accounts – including their funds and VIP points – are to being moved over the PokerStars platform.
“[Beginning next year] only license holders will be permitted to offer poker games and tournaments to Spanish players, significantly reducing the number of games available,” explains the official statement on the website, referring to the new regulatory system in Spain that will segregate the player pool and create a regulated dot.es market.
“Only the largest room in the world and in Spain will be able to offer the number of cash tables and tournaments needed to provide a superior experience,” continues the statement, titled “PokerStars, The Best Possible Choice.”
The Cara de Poker iPoker skin has closed, and customers who start the software are greeted with a message informing them that an account migration to PokerStars is in progress. “CDP Points” will be converted over to PokerStars FPPs based on a multiplier, and new accounts will be given a VIP level up to “PlatinumStar” based on recent rake generated.
Initially on Entraction then moving to iPoker 18 months ago, CDP was run by Spanish owners and focused completely on the Spanish market. Although not a major iPoker skin, player numbers were boosted with the affiliation with EducaPoker, a popular Spanish online poker training school.
PokerStars is certainly well positioned to capitalize on a new Spanish regulated market, assuming regulation proceeds as planned and the poker room receives a license. The Goliath already represents 50% of the entire international market, and the segregated French and Italian PokerStars sites boast more players than many global networks. With this week’s announcement of the third Estrellas poker tour in 2012, the poker room certainly has its eyes fixed firmly on an España entry.
