The Spanish online gambling outfit, Codere, won their legal case against PokerStars (sort of), and a British poker playing bomber will be eating porridge for the next 15-years.
Codere has been successful in their long drawn out litigation battle with PokerStars (sort of). The Spanish gambling giant sued PokerStars and a host of other online gambling companies back in 2011, citing operations without the appropriate licensing from the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ).
The reason for Codere’s venomous attack might have had something to do with the 65% market share PokerStars had in the online poker business, the 60% that Bet365 owned in the sports betting business, and the 70% of the casino business divided between Gamesys and Bet365. The DGOJ eventually awarded PokerStars a pukka license in 2012, but Codere still wanted retribution.
A Madrid court favoured Codere, but a Barcelona court fell on the side of PokerStars stating that they weren’t the only online gambling company operating without a DGOJ issued license and the local online gambling bobbies were seemingly happy with the situation.