Farewell to British players
Everest Poker has closed the door on British players after serving the online poker market in the United Kingdom for more than ten years.
The poker site has not provided any reasoning behind its sudden decision to withdraw from the UK market.
British players haven’t been able to play at the site since November 1
Everest Poker notified players from the UK about the impending closure toward the end of October. British players haven’t been able to play at the site since November 1, and all funds had to be withdrawn by November 6.
A farewell message was included in the email sent to players, which said: “We apologize for any inconvenience this situation may cause and take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Everest Poker and wish you the best for the future.”
British players who try to access the Everest Poker site are now met with a message saying that all IP addresses from the UK are blocked from the platform.
Established brand in the poker world
Everest Poker has long been a notable name in the poker world.
Over the years, Everest Poker hosted many live events, including the European Championships. For the 2008 World Series of Poker, it was the only poker table sponsor for the event, something which was also repeated the following year.
However, the platform did suffer following the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States, like a lot of its competitors. In recent years, the company has not done much of note in the industry.
Reasons for withdrawal
The parent company of Everest Poker, Betclic, has more of a focus on the French markets, which may be a reason for withdrawing from the UK market. It may also be with Brexit looming that it was a good time to exit.
Expekt, one of the oldest online sportsbooks in Europe, was also under the ownership of Betclic. It too closed its UK operations on October 31. It was one of the first online platforms to cater to a wide European audience.