PokerStars Says Non to French Players

June 29 - French online poker players found another door slammed in their face with the announcement that PokerStars has blocked them from its site.

From now on, players who wish to play under the PokerStars banner will need to shift to PokerStars.fr, a non-cash online poker site, where they can enjoy free tournaments "to win seats to live French Poker Series events."

The move comes in the wake of new French legislation that will only grant operating licenses to poker sites that do not offer their services to French citizens.

French users at PokerStars are now being told that they will unfortunately be blocked from the site.

With regards to their accounts, players are told: "All money in PokerStars accounts is 100% and is available for withdrawal. You can choose to cash out now if you prefer."

PokerStars is not the first online poker site to close its doors to French patrons.

Betfair and William Hill have also done so, as well as Paradise Poker.

It is believed that PokerStars will see a sharp drop in its traffic because of the decision.

The site's Spring Championship of Online Poker event, for example, attracted close to 28,000 entrants from France, making up nearly 6% of the field.

A number of French players also make up the prestigious Team PokerStars, including Bertrand Grospellier and Thomas Michon.

PokerStars is considered one of the leading online poker rooms in the world, with a huge selection of games, one of the largest VIP clubs in the industry, award winning software and exclusive live event qualifiers.

A 100% sign up bonus up to $600 is offered to new players on their first three deposits.