Entain, formerly GVC and parent company of Partypoker, has taken another step back from the Russian online poker space after it closed its dedicated Partypoker Sochi poker client.
The client only launched six months ago and was specifically designed for the Russian market. Partypoker’s pullback was first reported on Russian online poker sites after the client Partypoker-Sochi.com was reported offline for “maintenance.”
Despite the shutdown for regulatory reasons, Partypoker is not completely pulling back from the Russian market as a spokesmen for the online operator said:
“Due to increasing regulatory restrictions in Russia, we have decided to close our Sochi poker product. We will continue offering other poker services in Russia while we explore additional commercial and regulated opportunities within the market, as part of our strategy to only operate in licensed territories by the end of 2023.”