PokerStars has been granted a Remote Gaming License in Malta, and will soon be launching www.pokerstars.eu, the site has informed on its PokerStars Blog.

The launch of the new website is still underway, but the new license itself will help benefit PokerStars' European players immediately, said Eric Hollreiser, Head of Corporate Communications at PokerStars.

"We expect out Malta license will immediately benefit players who have told us they want to share in the benefits - such as clarity around taxation - that some jurisdictions offer to sites with a license from European Union nations," Hollreiser said.

In some countries, winnings from online poker sites holding an European Union license are considered tax free, and it is this effect that players will feel first.

The company however stresses that the work to obtain the new license is expected to benefit not only players, but PokerStars and the general industry, too.

"Obtaining an online gaming license is an arduous task. It requires significant resources and a willingness to allow detailed scrutiny of company practices and procedures that examine an applicant's credentials in important areas like integrity, security, and attitudes to responsible gaming," Hollreiser said.

"We're happy to submit to this, though, when there's a clear benefit to players, the industry or our company. In particular, as far as our players are concerned, we believe that each new license we obtain underscores the reasons why they should feel comfortable playing with us. We don't know of any company in our industry that has been licensed by as many jurisdictions as PokerStars," he added.

The announcement of the Malta license comes just less than a week after PokerStars was granted a full operating license in Belgium alongside the Circus Group.

All in all, the company now holds licenses in Isle of Man, Belgium, France, Italy, Denmark, and Estonia.