Announcing the “first regulated poker network in North America” as GTECH G2 and Loto-Québec have successfully launched the Espacejeux.com online gaming site, the Canadian Poker Network (CPN).
The CPN features the same modern Internet poker software used by a number of major European networks, hosted by online gaming software developer GTECH G2. Open only to residents of the Canadian province of Quebec, the new system operates in the “National Operations Centre” in New Brunswick and is based out of a Montreal area data center.
“GTECH G2 is providing eight poker variants for the history-making poker network including Texas Hold’em and Canadian Stud (or Soko), which is played the same way as 5-Card Stud except that there are two extra combinations: a four-card Flush and a four-card Straight,” the company stated in a recent news release.
The service is available in French and English, and began registering players on November 19th, opening for real-money online wagering on December 1st. It’s already inspired the inevitable anti-gambling political backlash, but looks set to for success nonetheless.
Can Canada’s ability to successfully regulate (and tax) online gambling be an inspiration for American lawmakers currently struggling with the same issues?