On Monday, online poker rooms Eurolinx and Poker Host announced that they would no longer accept new customers from the United States. As Microgaming Network sites, Eurolinx and Poker Host had previously not allowed players from 13 states in the U.S. where internet gambling is problematic: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
An e-mail sent to Eurolinx affiliates on Monday stated, “We regret to inform you that after long and careful deliberation, Eurolinx has decided to accept no new registrations from the U.S., effective immediately. The market has become turbulent, as evidenced most recently in the Kentucky case.” According to the final list of the 141 internet gambling domain names in jeopardy in Kentucky, Eurolinx.com was not among them. However, Microgaming.com and PokerHost.com do appear on it.
Live chat with Poker Host support indicated that the decision was made by Microgaming and imposed upon its partner sites: “Unfortunately due to reasons out of our control and by decision of our software provider and network coordinator Microgaming, we have been forced to disallow any new accounts from players that reside within the United States.”
As reported on Poker News Daily on Friday, a reliable source within Microgaming has stated that the Network may leave the U.S. entirely. However, no official announcement has been given. Existing Eurolinx players in the United States will be able to play as usual. Microgaming’s public relations firm was not reachable after hours in Europe.
A similar move was also made by the Fortune Lounge Group, which owns online poker rooms PokerTime and Royal Vegas Poker. Both of those are also on the Microgaming Network. The ban on new U.S. customers by Fortune Lounge Group sites also went into effect today. The website Microgaming.com simply reads “Site not available” if visited from the United States. However, there is no official statement on the site outlining its departure from the U.S. market.
The e-mail from Eurolinx, like others that have come from online poker rooms that no longer allow new U.S. players, remained upbeat on expansion elsewhere in the world: “The shift in market focus is only positive, as the U.S. market was approaching maturity and growth was beginning to stagnate. By relocating the focus to new markets, Eurolinx seeks to educate new players to the game, thus keeping growth healthy and upwardly mobile. To poker players, the quality of the game is the most important factor, and the quality of the game is only improved when bringing new players to the game.” The e-mail stated that Asian and European markets were now the focus.
Recently, the Merge Gaming Network also blocked access to new players from Kentucky. A final forfeiture hearing in the case of 141 internet gambling domain names is scheduled for December 3rd. However, the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) and Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) have both filed petitions directly to the state’s Court of Appeals to intervene. A three judge panel is scheduled to meet on November 18th, one week from tomorrow, to decide the future of the appeal.
Other Microgaming Network sites include Unibet, DoylesRoom, Gnuf Poker, Purple Lounge, Betway Poker, CanBet Poker, BetOnBet Poker, Golden Riviera, Wild Jack Poker, and Spin Palace Poker.