Spanish regulator hints at amalgamation

Sunday March 03,2013 : COMBINED SPANISH AND ITALIAN POKER PLAYER POOLS A GOOD BET
 
Spanish regulator hints at amalgamation by the end of 2013
 
According to Spanish regulator Enrique Alejo, a top executive at the La Direccion General de Ordenacion del Juego , it is possible that the Spanish and Italian dedicated poker player pools will be combined to the benefit of both nations before the end of 2013.
 
French, Spanish and Italian regulators have been meeting to discuss the possibilities of combining to improve mutual player liquidity for some months now.
 
The regulations in Spain and Italy include provision for shared player pools, making for a less complicated agreement between the two nations, but France has a more restrictive regulatory regime that would require usually slow and problematic changes to its laws governing online gambling.
 
Dedicated national networks such as Ongame and iPoker, along with Pokerstars, PartyPoker and 888 would be able to offer their operators a wider player pool, giving greater liquidity and profitability if the Italian and Spanish regulators can reach agreement, with negotiations apparently now at an advanced stage..
 
Shared player pools could present even wider opportunities in the future if European nations like Germany and Portugal develop the sort of regulatory structures that would enable their inclusion; recent reports indicate that those countries have had observers present at a recent meeting of regulators.