Austria’s State Run Online Poker Room

16 Dec, 2007 Poker News

In an international news release the Gaming Intelligence Group confirmed that Austria would be entering the Online Poker Community. This is confirmed with Boss Media and Svenska Spel. Jesper Kärrbrink, of Svenska Spel made it clear that Austria will be launching a state run online poker site with their assistance.Austria is expected to go live with their online poker site early 2008. In an effort to provide a secure online environment to Austrian Citizens, the site will model their environment based upon their successfully regulated Swedish state run counter part. In order to assure best practice for money management and player protection, the site will implement software automation that will regulate responsible playing habits, as required by the Swedish Online Poker Rooms.

Jesper Kärrbrink will not reveal the online poker operating organization who will participate in the creation and management of the new site, however Gaming Intelligence Group confirmed Osterreichische Lotterien will offer the online poker site through their own online gaming website, win2day.at.

There is a strategic collaboration in discussion between Svenska Spel’s poker site and Osterreichisches Lotterien in the on going development of this site. When Svenska Spel’s was launched in March of 2006, they ran a very successful champaign to promote this sites popularity. The promotion offered no bonuses or free rolls but it captured players attention and currently boast a position on the top 10 list of best poker networks worldwide. This site represents over a third of the Swedish market and exceed projected revenues on a daily basis. The percentage of their market share in the online poker industry is a mere 2.5%, however when the Austrian government were considering models for an Online Poker Room, the Svenska Spel’s poker site provided an impressive model for rapid establishment of players, and for financial success.

The Svenska Spel’s online poker room has distinguished themselves as a leader in the industry and gained brand recognition, and a very high level of trust since 1997. In conjunction with the Osterreichische Lotterien, the online poker site being established by Austria both sites will thrive from the strategies successfully implemented by Svenska Spel’s site. Their online gaming and gambling site, Win2Day.at was established 2003 with two platforms Casino Austria and Austrian Lotteries. Both venues proved popular to the citizens of Austria, which will promote the safe environment to be maintained for their citizens.

Poker has not been viewed in the gambling industry as a game of challenge and skill. With a government owned site, the online poker community is having a positive response seeing this as progress in making online poker one of the most common pastimes globally. Austrian citizens will now join the ranks of other countries such as Sweden to have the opportunity to play poker online.