PokerStars launches new online gaming site for Swedish and Finnish gamblers

Gamblers in Sweden and Finland now have a new venue to play slots and other games, as PokerStars recently launched PokerStars.eu. For now, only Swedes and Finns have access to the site, but PokerNewsDaily.com reports citizens of other European nations will soon be able to try their luck at the same online slots available on the company's dot-com site. Since the company obtained a license through the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Commission, players from these nations can gamble tax-free, CardPlayer.com reports.

"Some markets treat European Union-licensed operators differently than other license-holders," Guy Templar, PokerStars head of business, told the news source. "Offering our online poker on www.PokerStars.eu with a Maltese license provides benefits to polayers in Sweden and Finland in particular and we are always striving to offer the best product possible to our players, wherever they are located."

However, this does not apply entirely to U.S. residents. The company explicitly states on the main page of the site that U.S. players have been ineligible to place bets with real money since last April. They can still play for fun on a sister-site until American officials come to a decision about how to handle online gambling.

Do you think the U.S. will federally legalize online gambling? Should they consider allowing international gaming or keep things strictly within the nation?

Published on 15 February 2012