Swedish poker company, Svenska Spel, has confirmed that Austria is following in Sweden’s footsteps by launching a similar, state-run poker site.

The CEO of Svenska Spel, Mr. Jesper Karrbrink said that his company, in collaboration with the leading software provider, Boss Media, would be cooperating with Austrian industry leaders.

This would create an online poker site where players could gamble safely, with the backing of a government body.  

Karrbrink is bringing his knowledge and expertise into the new endeavor and will more than likely show the Austrian authorities how a successful poker site should run. 

Svenska Spel, created in March, 2006, was severely criticized by opponents who predicted that a state-run online poker room that operated under such strict conditions would not make it in such a competitive industry. However, Svenska Spel proved them all wrong and today is considered one of the top poker networks in the world. 

Svenksa Spel’s success, it seems, flows from the fact that players are pointedly searching for sites that are regulated and where they know fair gaming is a priority for the operators. Although Svenska Spel, as a policy, does not provide bonuses and freerolls, and its rakebacks are only 2.5% (half of the average rate in the online poker industry), it has managed to grab over 35% of the total Swedish poker market in the very short time that it has been up and running.

It is believed that the new Austrian poker site will be run on the country’s official casino gaming site, Win2day by the operator, Osterreichische Lotterien. The planners of this site will be able to apply much of what has been learned by the Swedish experience to the new Austrian venture. 

Both countries have a very similar gambling market and even its population numbers almost the same. In addition, both countries have higher than average levels of broadbrand penetration per capita ( nearly 23% and 17%).  

The Austrian online poker site is being received with open arms by the gambling industry as a whole. has traditionally taken a hard-line against online gambling and recognizing poker as a mainstream game has been seen as a positive step. 

Even critics cannot find fault with the fact that is providing a safe and regulated gaming environment for players to try out a game that is considered by the majority as a game of skill. The new site is expected to be up and running by 2008.

News Source:  Renee Kingsley