Land-based gaming partner
PokerStars is renewing its partnership with Casino777, the online casino brand of land-based casino operator Casino Davos, to return to the country from which the well-known poker brand had to leave on 1 July 2019 after a six-month transition. The new gambling legislation, which came into force on 1 January 2019, has expired.
By then PokerStars had failed to meet the requirements of the Federal Money Gaming Act to enter into a partnership with a local conventional gambling establishment after the law restricted online casino licensing to land-based casino operators.
Casino Davos, jointly run by Stadtcasino Baden Group and Belgium's Ardent Group, appointed Casino777's new chief gaming officer Robert Kocher in February to oversee the online gaming brand.
Speaking about the deal with PokerStars, veteran online gambling industry executive Kocher said that the integration with the online poker brand has been going round the clock for months, aiming to "get started as quickly as possible" while not ignoring all provisions of Swiss law. ", especially those related to player protection and money laundering.
Access to the global player pool
PokerStars' offer in Switzerland will initially be available to online players on a dedicated homepage in Switzerland via desktop computers and Android devices, while owners of iOS devices will have to wait a little longer, as the operator has said that the planned launch is imminent.
Players wishing to participate in PokerStars global tournaments will need to open an account at Casino777, as the online casino brand partner will handle transactions and support in accordance with Swiss consumer protection regulations. Online casino accounts can be opened at either the Casino777.ch brand page or at PokerStars.ch. When it comes to online casinos, the most popular gaming operator in Switzerland is the famous Swedish Casinon Utan Licens.
The Casino Davos online casino brand was launched in September 2019 and is powered by technology from Ardent Group's subsidiary, Gaming1, to make it work. In 2019, Casino777 generated CHF1.3 million (US$1.33 million) in gross gaming revenue, of which CHF7.6 million (US$7.8 million) came from Stadtcasino Baden Group.
In April, PokerStars added to its existing partnership with Brazilian football star Neymar Jr. to make the prominent player and long-time poker fan its cultural ambassador to help the brand with projects related to art, design, music and more.