(PRESS RELEASE) -- PokerStars – part of Flutter Entertainment plc - officially joined the Portuguese Betting and Online Games Association (APAJO) as its newest affiliate member. As one of the first brands launching in the Portuguese regulated market, PokerStars will combine forces with other market leaders within the APAJO - the only trade association to represent entities operating with a local license - including Betano – Portgual, Betclic – Portugal,
Bwin Poker,
Casino Portugal,
ESC Online and
CasinoSolverde.pt.
The APAJO has been working on many fronts since its creation in 2018. Representing its locally licensed members in regulator, government and legislator discussions, it also developed a Responsible Gambling Manual, with members committing to additional measures to the ones required by law. The APAJO has also been proactively engaged in the future outlook of online gambling advertising in Portugal, having joined the Portuguese advertisers’ association, the national advertisement self-regulatory organization, as well as recently becoming a signatory of a European Commission-led MoU on Online Advertising.
“APAJO is pleased to welcome into its group one of the leading international brands and an operator which has been in the market since 2016,” said Ricardo Domingues, President of the Board of APAJO. “We look forward to working with PokerStars to promote an entertaining, safe and sustainable environment for online gambling in Portugal. APAJO has ambitious plans for 2023 and PokerStars will play an important role in driving these forwards. We also would like to use this opportunity to renew our invitation to the other licensed operators to join.”
Joining the APAJO aligns with Flutter’s strategy of investing to build leadership positions in regulated markets.
"We are delighted to join APAJO and look forward to sharing our expertise from other licensed jurisdictions to support APAJO in promoting a responsible and safe play environment,” said João Saraiva, Planning & Strategy Manager for Portugal at PokerStars. “We have high ambitions for this market, and we can’t wait to start working together with APAJO."
