PokerStars granted Malta license, launches mobile platform in UK

Over the past week PokerStars has been expanding its reach in the European Poker market. With their newly acquired Malta license, the world’s largest online poker room can now compete in the popular Finland and Sweden markets without forcing their players to pay hefty taxes -previously PokerStars players were subject to 50% taxation on their winnings since PokerStars was operating from the Isle of Mann, and not from within a European Union country, which Malta happens to be.

Stars is also hoping to open even more European markets for its .eu domain, as many other countries have similar laws that favor EU companies over other locales.

In addition to their Maltese license, PokerStars also announced that they will be launching a mobile platform for UK residents.  The PokerStars Mobile client was previously available to Italian players in Beta, but has now been fully launched for most UK residents -England, Scotland and Wales all have access to PokerStars Mobile, while customers in Northern Ireland are currently excluded.

According to the PokerStars Blog, “We are now an App.” As the blog post states: “PokerStars Mobile is for real: real money, real poker, whenever you want. All the hold’em and Omaha games you want to play will be available on the Mobile app. You can even multitable with ease! The only catch is that you have to be an existing PokerStars player before you can use the Mobile app. But, really, that’s not very hard at all.”

With so many people around the world relying on their mobile devices for a variety of their Internet needs, it was only a matter of time before the online poker world saw the potential in this market. PokerStars joins both the Microgaming Poker Network and the OnGame Poker Network as poker sites with Mobile Apps, and with the world’s largest online poker room now in the market (along with their willingness to promote their products with oodles of marketing dollars) it shouldn’t take very long before PokerStars is the #1 name in Mobile online poker as well.

Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree has already been using the mobile platform, and had this to say about the product: “PokerStars Mobile is going to transform where and when I play poker – I now have access to the biggest tournaments and all my favourite cash games, even when I’m not in front of my computer. I plan to play all the upcoming UKIPT events and will now be able to play some poker when travelling to or from a tournament.”