Portugal Shared Poker Player Pools

PORTUGUESE PROGRESS ON SHARED PLAYER POOLS
 
The ball is now in the European Commission's court.
 
After months of delay, Portugal has finally sent its proposed online poker liquidity sharing technical standards to the European Commission for approval.
 
On Tuesday the government submitted a proposal to permit its licensed online poker sites to share liquidity with operators in other European Union regulated markets within technical regulations framed by the national regulator, Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ) after consultation with a range of interested parties.
 
The proposed regulations include an interesting element; a provision which would allow operators outside the EU to participate, providing their licensing jurisdiction can show the SRIJ that its technical regulations are effective and demand similar requirements to those of Portugal.
 
The European Commission now has up to four months to study the Portuguese proposal and revert to the government, during which time the issue and objectives of the proposed regulations are held in mandatory suspension – the so-called :standstill period".
 
The move represents progress, albeit slow, on plans by major European nations like the UK, Italy, Spain and France to collaborate in creating a cross-border online poker environment.