Launch of First Legal Poker Website in Bulgaria - PokerStars.bg

In February 2014, the Bulgarian State Commission on Gambling issued the first licenses to PokerStars and Betfair. Five months and one change of ownership later the first - and as yet, only - legal poker website in the country is a fact. PokerStars.bg was launched on Friday and a $3,000 GTD Freeroll was held on Sunday to celebrate the occasion. 

Rational Group's Head of Corporate Communication Eric Hollreiser:"We are proud to be the first locally licensed poker site in Bulgaria.”

Unlike the French or Italians, Bulgarians will join the PokerStars international player pool and will be able to take part in all major international online events. A more notable change is that transfer of funds among Bulgarian members will no longer be possible and there are new terms and condition for VIP bonus programs and VIP player points (VPP). The mobile application is expected in September while the new PokerStars 7 software is immediately available.

“Bulgaria is full of promise; poker is extremely popular in the country.” (Eric Hollreiser)

BG players were a small sensation in Vienna. The photo above shows four Bulgarians seated at the same table on Day 3 of EPT Vienna Main Event: Simeon Naydenov, Atanas Kavrakov, Rumen Nanev, and Ivan Neytchev.

Poker fans have been following the performance of the top live players who did quite well in EPT Season 10 (most notably with TWO Bulgarians at the Main Event final table in Vienna). Most of the stars of #BGPoker were also in attendance at the @Rio for the WSOP 2014. The top two all-time live winners, @Dimitar Danchev and @Simeon Naydenov, each cashed three times, with a notable runner-up finish for Danchev in Event 6, and a fourth place for Naydenov in Event 47.

Many of the top BG live winners are equally active online players and we wish them success and lots of cashes in the upcoming World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP 2014, 7-28 September).

More on RankingHero:

Dimitar Danchev May Take Over WSOP Shootout Title from Fellow Bulgarian Simeon Naydenov

PokerStars with New Owner and a Step Closer to U.S. Market