If we’re being honest, we’ll take an interest in what is going on with our neighbour from time to time. Sometimes, the actions next door will have an impact on what we do or what we can do. Of course, there will be plenty of times when what is happening next door has absolutely nothing to do with us but that doesn’t mean that we cannot take a passing interest in what is going on. This is true for every street across the United States but it is also true for countries as well.
This is why US poker players will be taking a keen interest in what is going on with Canada at the moment. Canada may have the reputation of being the quiet nation but there have been a number of big stories emanating from the country with regards to online poker of late. The first big story comes with the about-face that Titan Poker has unveiled in Canada.
It was only last week that Titan, and fellow Playtech poker skin site Mansion, announced that they were going to be withdrawing from the Finnish and Dutch markets. There were also a lot of rumours that the company would be exiting the Canadian market, with the exit lined up to take place on the 22nd of December. An email was sent to Canadian poker players informing that they should place withdrawal requests for their cash before this point. However, Titan has went public and they have said that they are no longer going to be withdrawing from the Canadian market.
Titan is backtracking with respect to Canadian poker players
Titan has sent out a “welcome back” bonus to players who had already put in a withdrawal request to the site. This is not a fantastic way to do business but at least the site has attempted to make amends before it was too late. It is believed that Titan is still looking to with draw from their projects in Holland and Finland but it seems as though Canadian players will still be able to enjoy playing on the site.
Another big story for Canadian poker players broke this week with the news that Skrill is pulling out of the Canadian poker market in 2014. An email was sent to players stating, “Skrill will be notifying active gamblers next week and will also communicate this to its broader Canadian customer base.”
The company has stated they will not accept gambling transactions from the 2nd of January 2014 and that merchant transactions will come to an end on the 31st of January.
Are US factors influencing the behaviour of Skrill in Canada?
Many industry experts believe that this about face owes a lot to the fact that CVC Capital Partners bought a 75% stake in Skrill back in August. Since that deal took place, the company has received approval from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to facilitate online gaming transactions within New Jersey.
This removal of services for Canadian players will hurt local players but it will also hurt a number of players who are refugees from the United States. If you are in America but not in a state that allows online gambling, you may feel as though your options are becoming increasingly limited. Given the opportunities that are available to players that are in the states that are at the current forefront of US online gaming, this can feel like a frustrating period for some players. Even though the activity of poker sites and players in Canada may not affect everyone, it is obvious that some US poker players will need to keep a close eye on what is happening across the border.