Italy Completes Shared Online Poker Liquidity Technical Checks

Italy may be a step closer to joining the shared online poker liquidity project, according to local news outlets. As reported earlier, the Italian government was conducting the required technical checks to eventually merge its player pool with those of France, Spain, and Portugal.

Italian poker news outlet AssoPoker reported late last week, citing unnamed sources, that the checks were completed and that the the technical standards for conducting shared liquidity now need to be published before any further actions regarding Italy’s eventual entry into the online poker scheme are taken.

According to AssoPoker, there should be very few administrative hurdles before the publication of the technical framework. However, the poker news outlet pointed out that Italy’s online gambling regulator Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) could publish these after the country’s March 4 general election.

AssoPoker further explained that while Italy’s participation in the shared liquidity project seemed to have gained enough political support in the current government, changes in the country’s political landscape could have quite a negative impact on the online poker scheme.

A number of Italian politicians have previously expressed serious opposition to Italy’s entry, citing concerns over increased money laundering and other criminal activities. Proponents of the project, which is hoped to revive online poker across Europe’s segregated markets, have pointed out that the necessary anti-money laundering controls would be introduced so as for the shared online poker networks to be prevented from being used for illicit flows of money.