GGPoker has accused rival operators of standing in the way of international online poker liquidity, claiming some European poker rooms are lobbying regulators to protect their existing businesses from competition.
Sarne Lightman, Managing Director of GGPoker parent company NSUS Group, wants France, Spain, Portugal and Italy to join the operator’s international player pool. However, he believes competitors are actively resisting changes that could open their markets to GGPoker.
The comments, made during an interview with Poker Industry PRO on October 23, reopen a long-running argument about regulation, competition and the future of European online poker.
GGPoker Takes Aim at Its Competitors
Lightman told Poker Industry PRO that:
“poker is best served by open, global liquidity”
He went further when discussing resistance from existing operators:
“It is frustrating to see local competitors actively lobby against open liquidity”
Lightman alleges that some operators want to protect their domestic markets and use poker to attract customers to more profitable sportsbook and casino products. He did not publicly identify the operators involved or provide specific examples of lobbying activity in the published comments. His allegations therefore remain unverified.
For GGPoker, the commercial incentive is obvious. Access to four additional European markets would potentially increase tournament traffic, cash-game liquidity and revenue.
Europe Already Has Shared Poker Liquidity
The situation is more complicated than four countries simply refusing to share players. Regulators from France, Spain, Portugal and Italy signed a shared-liquidity agreement in July 2017.
France, Spain and Portugal subsequently introduced cross-border poker pools in 2018, allowing licensed operators to combine players across participating jurisdictions. Italy signed the agreement but has not joined those shared tables.
| Country | Current player-pool arrangement |
|---|---|
| France | Shared with Spain and Portugal |
| Spain | Shared with France and Portugal |
| Portugal | Shared with France and Spain |
| Italy | Domestic player pool only |
The crucial difference is that these arrangements do not give GGPoker automatic access to its global network.
The Numbers Behind the Liquidity Battle
The October 2026 online poker traffic report, compiled by VIP-Grinders using SharkScope Analytics data accessed through Poker Industry PRO, reveals the scale of the difference.
| Network or player pool | Average concurrent cash-game seats |
|---|---|
| GGPoker international network | 10,143 |
| Southern European shared pool | 2,162 |
| Italian regulated pool | 1,309 |
Figures are trailing 30-day averages through October 12, 2026. GGPoker is an individual network, while the regional figures combine multiple operators.
GGPoker’s international network is considerably larger than either European pool.
The tournament figures tell a similar story. GGPoker averaged 786,266 daily MTT entries, compared with 466,914 across the Southern European pool and 102,227 in Italy. These are entries, not unique players, and should not be interpreted as participation by that many individuals.
What Would Global Liquidity Mean for Players?
For regular grinders, the potential benefits are straightforward:
- Bigger MTT fields and potentially larger guaranteed prize pools.
- More cash-game tables running outside peak European hours.
- Better availability of less popular stakes and poker variants.
- More opportunities to find games without lengthy waiting lists.
However, increased liquidity does not automatically mean lower rake, softer games or better tournament structures.
Poker rooms would still control their fees, while national regulators would need to agree on licensing, taxation, player verification and responsible gambling safeguards. Players might also face tougher competition as established international grinders enter previously restricted pools.
Is Change Actually Coming?
There is currently no announced agreement allowing GGPoker to connect these four markets to its international network, and no confirmed launch timetable.
Lightman’s comments demonstrate the company’s determination to pursue regulatory changes, rather than evidence that those changes are imminent. GGPoker already operates one of online poker’s largest networks, with substantial tournament traffic and a growing range of formats. Our GGPoker review examines its games, software and player rewards.
The operator has also recently tightened its security policies, including restrictions on third-party poker software.
For European players, the question is not simply who gets access to the biggest games. It is whether opening those games to global competition would deliver better value than the regulated arrangements already in place.
