Bwin.party may be the first to get a Spanish licence. The company announced on Monday they would pay €31 million as back-tax for the government.
About three weeks prior to the opening of the legalized online poker market on 1 June in the country, the Spanish government announced that they had altered the gambling act, requiring licensed rooms that had previously offered their services in Spain (which basically means all of them) to pay back-taxes for the period between 2008 and 2012. For some of the major operators, this could mean a not so small fortune, which rendered it uncertain if any of those would still be willing to enter the market.
Apparently, bwin.party is: on Monday, the company announced that they would pay the €31 million they owe to the authorities according to the new regulation. This is still well behind the €60 million bwin.party had been estimated to have to cough up.
“The payment is intended to secure the Group’s position in Spain in the context of its application for eGaming licences. Having taken these steps, we believe we have now fulfilled all requirements and look forward to receiving our licence and entering the Spanish market,” the bwin.party report on the payment reads.
Previously, PokerStars had been reported to have a €200 million, while Sportingbet/Miapuesta a €50 million bill to pay for the Spanish authorities, although these calculations might well also be somewhat overestimated.
