Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

This spring Svenska Spel (Swedish state run gambling company) opened up their online poker room.

The room had about 1.500 players logged on during the first weeks. Then it picked up a little and got to about 4.000 players. When I logged in earlier today there where 6.500 logged on. Very few playmoney tables so the 6.500 are almost all real money players.These are really good numbers considering the room is fairly new and that only Swedes are allowed to play. There will probably be even more players coming months since the summer is basically over here in Sweden. The rake is 2.5% up to 20SEK (app. $2.75).

The head of Svenska Spel earlier this year aired his hope of making the card room a network which would include other EU-based state run gambling companies. One can only hope. That would be a huge room. It would be enough to summon the Scandinavian countries to make a major online poker room. Guess, we’ll have to wait and see.

What if USA opened up their own online card room. USA has about 30 times more citizens than Sweden. Considering the current numbers at Svenska Spel, imagine an US-run online poker room with almost 200.000 real money players. Now that would surely freak out Party, PS and others. Especially with a rake of 2.5%.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

I think our american friends are more worried about online poker being banned from the USA than having access to another poker network.

We'll be happy to shelter some poker refugees when things collapse over there.... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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When I logged in earlier today there where 6.500 logged on.

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would be interested in knowing how many real money cash tables are active right now. that way you could compare this to the #'s on pokersitescout. "logged on" players by itself doesn't tell you all that much

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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Especially with a rake of 2.5%

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2.5% by itself doesn't mean much without knowing how does it apply. Can you post their full rake schedule?

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

--------------------------------
NL 5max
pot-size: 2kr < 600kr = 2.5% rake
pot-size >600kr = 15kr rake

NL 10max
pot-size: 2kr < 800kr = 2.5% rake
pot-size: >800kr = 20kr rake
-----

FL 5 & 10 max , 1/2 to 10/20
pot-size: 2kr < 400kr = 2.5% rake
pot-size: >400kr = 10kr rake

FL 5 & 10 max, 15/30 and above
pot-size: 2kr < 600kr = 2.5% rake
pot-size: >600kr = 15kr rake
--------------------------------------
10kr = $1.38

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

I try to avoid tables with more than one swede, dont think I'd like to sit with 5.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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I try to avoid tables with more than one swede, dont think I'd like to sit with 5.

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Very wise, I myself always look for tables with 9 americans... oops... I mean fishies [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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Very wise, I myself always look for tables with at least 9 americans...

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FYP [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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When I logged in earlier today there where 6.500 logged on.

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would be interested in knowing how many real money cash tables are active right now. that way you could compare this to the #'s on pokersitescout. "logged on" players by itself doesn't tell you all that much

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I'll try to look it up and post it in a day or 2, comparing it to the pokersitescout numbers.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

Wow, I really wish I could play there. It must be like the B2B network before the bonus whores took over. Fishtastic!

Are gambling winnings taxed in Sweden?

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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Wow, I really wish I could play there. It must be like the B2B network before the bonus whores took over. Fishtastic!

Are gambling winnings taxed in Sweden?

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Yes, it was quite fishy the last couple of times I played there. Hope it stays that way. It seems many people that were earlier reluctant to plunk down money on "unregulated foreign sites" are now signing up in droves. They feel safe putting in money at Svenska Spel. So yes, a lot of new fresh blood is coming in making the games good.

Gambling winnings on this particular site are taxfree for swedes as are all winnings from other online poker rooms, sportsbetting sites or lotteries, located within EU/EES. If the room is located outside EU/EES we have to pay 30% tax on our winnings.

PS and other big online poker rooms not located within EU/EES should consider a move to europe. I know for a fact that many players over here have abandonded online poker rooms not located within EU/EES because of the tax situation. This goes for players from a couple of other european countries aswell since they have similar tax rules. I belive a lot of poker rooms is missing out on a lot of $$ because of this.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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It would be enough to summon the Scandinavian countries to make a major online poker room. Guess, we’ll have to wait and see.


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That would be cool, but the finnish counterpart of SS, RAY, isn't interested in making an online pokerroom. Mostly because they're afraid that it would raise questions about their monopoly of casino games in Finland (competing and not allowing competition). They are also the only company that would be allowed to make a finnish pokerroom, so we are out of luck.

In Finland online poker is'nt taxed, if the pokerroom is in EU. So that's one good thing going for us.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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[ QUOTE ]
When I logged in earlier today there where 6.500 logged on.

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would be interested in knowing how many real money cash tables are active right now. that way you could compare this to the #'s on pokersitescout. "logged on" players by itself doesn't tell you all that much

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Right now there are 3.600 players logged on.
85 Full ring games
282 SH (5-handed tables).

If one counts every 10-handed game as having an average of 8 players we get 722 players. If every shorthanded tables counts as 4 players we get 1128.

The total is 1850 cash game players. Just a little bit more than half of the 3.600 logged on.

There were an additional 108 SNG's running and 500 players involved in MTT's. I guess this category doesn't count in the pokersitescout numbers, right?. So I'll leave them out of the calculations for now.

Yesterday there were 6.500 logged on as most. Using the numbers above about 3.300 of them were cash game players.

Looking at the pokersitescout peak numbers from the last 24hrs this would put Svenska Spel on par with Paradise, Cryptologic and Prima. Only Party, PS, Ongame and FT are ahead. If Svenska Spel continues to grow like it has the last couple of months they will pull ahead Ongame and FT in two or three months for a 3:rd place.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

What do you think Svenska Spel will do to the traffic at the B2B Network? I used to play a lot of B2B (I pulled out my money since they are scared of the USDOJ and banished Americans) and Swedish players are the most common nationality at B2B.

And just out of curoisity, what games are spread at Svenska Spel? Is it all NLHE and PLO? Are games like limit holdem, omaha/8, stud, stud/8 offered? Do they offer niche games like draw or soko? If so, does anyone play?

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

In Finland or not, I think it (gambling) will be taxed if one wins enough (can be considered professional, especially if that's what one up to mostly does); the exceptions rate to be the UK and some other places.

Playing in a governmental run poker site will sure tell them one plays poker and how one does, possibly even if one is not living or whatever in that country.

The 2.5% is a sort of nice (though one may pay less and a government - especially as it has money - taking that much can be considered stealing) but in case of taxes it needs to be worth it - also considering that non-EU places still rate to be taxed - and in my case at the moment, it isn't.

I think one can trust the site to be honest, that's very good, and that it will be a good site, though not sure what they will think about (more automatic) tracking.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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What do you think Svenska Spel will do to the traffic at the B2B Network? I used to play a lot of B2B (I pulled out my money since they are scared of the USDOJ and banished Americans) and Swedish players are the most common nationality at B2B.

And just out of curoisity, what games are spread at Svenska Spel? Is it all NLHE and PLO? Are games like limit holdem, omaha/8, stud, stud/8 offered? Do they offer niche games like draw or soko? If so, does anyone play?

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As far as I can see Svenska Spel has already done quite some harm to B2B and I'm sure will do even more down the line. The numbers at B2B seems to go down every month. Partly because of Svenska Spel and also because at least one big B2B-skin chosing another network.

As to games, most are NL. When I looked it up earlier today 303 out of 367 games were NL or PL (277 NLHE).

Games spread are:
Holdem NL PL FL
Omaha High FL PL
Omaha 8/0 FL PL
5 and 7-card stud FL
Draw FL PL

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

I downloaded it to check out, but quickly realized that I don't understand any swedish.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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Poker on the Internet
Svenska Spel received the permission from the Swedish Government in November 2005 to launch Internet Poker in its own jurisdiction. The goal is to transfer existing Internet poker players from the unregulated market to the regulated market.

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My mistake; it's not a governmental (run) pokersite.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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B2B seems to go down every month. Partly because of Svenska Spel and also because at least one big B2B-skin chosing another network.

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B2B has actually gone up over the last 10 days or so. Probably thanks to their new cashback (rakeback) program and a few new partners.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Svenska Spel on the International Poker Network, i.e. Boss Media? They are listed that way on pokersitescout, and there's this article that seems to say so.

So the player counts you're talking about are really for the whole network, aren't they?

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Svenska Spel on the International Poker Network, i.e. Boss Media? They are listed that way on pokersitescout, and there's this article that seems to say so.

So the player counts you're talking about are really for the whole network, aren't they?

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Looking on the Boss skin I have, I don't see any more tables than usual, and I don't see any Swedish players. It must be a separate network.

Is it possible to sign up an account at Svenska Spel just to observe games (for a US citizen)? If so, I would appreciate it if someone could help me do it. I downloaded the software, but can't figure out how to sign up. I clicked on Bli Kund, which I assume means sign up/new user whatever. But then I keep getting an error message at the page where you put in your name.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

svenska spel is not part of the International Poker Network. It only uses the same software.

Unfortunately it is not possible to sign up for, or even look at the lobby of, Svenska Spel Poker if you are not a swede. the sign up process is a little complicated but basically you would have to apply for a "spelkort" and then use a code you get sent home to you as identification when you sign in.

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

tx

Re: Update on the swedish governmental run pokersite
 

Is it possible to move and get swedish citizenship?