Entraction Poker Network, owned by International Gaming Technology, has announced that Canadian poker players will no longer be accepted as customers. Canada is just one of five newly excluded countries; the others are Israel, Norway, Russia and Turkey.
As of September 29th, the ban will take effect. From that date forward, Canadian players at websites like Betsson and Victor Chandler will no longer be able to play.
It is believed that the network made this move in order to boost its reputation in the eyes of the American online gambling market. The network has been known to accept players from countries where online gambling is illegal, which may look bad for the operators when attempting to become licensed when and if the American online gambling market is opened.
Israel, Norway, Russia and Turkey all have strict laws against online gambling, so it is natural that Entraction would pull out of those countries. However, Canadian lawmakers have not set any laws indicating online poker and other online casino games are illegal.
Entraction is just one of many online gambling operators that is preparing for the regulation of online gambling in America. Like companies such as Bwin.Party and William Hill, Entraction hopes to be in good standing with American and international gambling laws when the time comes to apply for licenses in the country’s online gambling industry.
