If evidence were needed to highlight the complexities of worldwide internet gaming law, one need only look as far as news this week that PokerStars has launched “pokerstars.eu” following their successful attempt to obtain a new European licence, subsequently granted by the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Commission.

For most players the news means very little. But for those in Sweden and Finland, countries which historically have a zeal for taxing poker winnings, the change is significant, meaning online poker winnings will now be tax-free when played on the new site because -- jumping through the legal hoops -- it is offered from within the EU under a license issued by an EU Member State.

“Some markets treat European Union-licensed operators differently than other license-holders,” said Guy Templer, PokerStars’ Head of Business Development. “Offering our online poker on www.pokerstars.eu with a Maltese license provides benefits to players in Sweden and Finland in particular and we are always striving to offer the best product possible to our players, wherever they are located.”

It’s easy to think this to be a lot of fuss for something as simple as changing the suffix of a website. But the legal process is arduous, and in an industry often subject to the utmost bureaucracy, PokerStars seems ready to put in the leg work if it helps legitimise the industry.

“The Malta Lotteries and Gaming Commission granted PokerStars a license following the commission’s rigorous review process,” wrote Eric Hollreiser, Head of Corporate Communications, on the PokerStars Blog. “PokerStars was recently among the first to be awarded a license in Denmark, which introduced regulation this year. PokerStars is also licensed by the governments of France, Italy, Belgium, Estonia and the Isle of Man.

So while Swedish and Finnish players will be first onto the .eu domain more European markets will follow, switching to the new site which hosts the exact same software as it’s .com cousin, operating under a global license from the Isle of Man.

It’s a small change from the aesthetic position, but the proverbial giant leap for poker players and for the game in general.