888Poker has become the latest online gaming company to announce the temporary suspension of its services in Russia.
The European poker operator tweeted the announcement today following a similar move by PokerStars. The single-sentence tweet states that, from March 15, 888Poker will suspend all operations in Russia until further notice.
888Poker joins industry pushback against Russian attacks
Almost all of the largest online poker operators have now exited the Russian market, either permanently or temporarily.
Important notice:
All 888poker operations in Russia will be suspended starting March 15th until further notice.
— 888poker (@888poker) March 14, 2022
Partypoker made a somewhat fortuitous exit from Russia in early February due to the enforcement of regulatory changes. PokerStars stayed but began filtering its Russian players through a localized platform run in conjunction with Casino Sochi.
Following the attacks on Ukraine, executives at PokerStars were forced to consider the company’s position in Russia. EPT Sochi was initially rescheduled before being canceled until further notice. News soon followed that PokerStars would stop operations in Russia.
Another option for poker players in Russia disappears
Neither PokerStars nor 888Poker have given a timeline as to when they might eventually resume services in Russia. Player funds will be protected and, in the event either operator exits the market completely, full refunds will be offered.
GGPoker is the only top-five operator still active in Russia. The company hasn’t provided any comments on whether it plans to follow its peers out of the market, but with many players supporting the global sanctions on Russia, an announcement regarding the site’s ongoing operations in the country may be imminent.
