In an effort to expand its geographical presence, online poker operator Winamax has reportedly purchased the Italian gambling concession held by the bet-at-home.com subordinate of fellow French firm Betclic Everest Group.

According to a report from Italian gaming affiliate Agipro News, the purchase will allow Winamax to begin offering its services to players in that nation without first applying for a local license and follows the signing of a liquidity-sharing agreement earlier in the year by regulators in Spain, France, Portugal and Italy.

The online news domain at CalvinAyre.com reported that bet-at-home.com is the German arm of Betclic Everest Group before revealing that Winamax had previously been active in Italy before abandoning the market in 2015 due to concerns over how games were to be regulated.

However, CalvinAyre.com reported that last month saw Winamax signal its intention to re-enter the Italian online gaming market after inking a sponsorship deal with one of the nation’s top professional poker players, Mustapha Kanit.