by Mario Alfonsi | Published on May 27, 2012 | Updated on May 27, 2012With less than a week remaining before new regulations go into effect in Spain that will usher in a new era of online poker in the country, rumors are swirling that one prominent Spanish sports hero could become a sponsor for a major poker site. Meanwhile, more operators have continued to agree to pay back taxes in the hopes of putting themselves in prime position to receive a license next month.First, rumor has it that tennis superstar Rafael Nadal might be signing a deal to work with PokerStars. One of the world’s top tennis players for the last decade, Nadal would be a natural fit for the site – especially if they plan on receiving a license in Spain.However, it’s far from clear if this rumor has any real merit. The report comes from a Spanish poker news site known as PokerGenio.com, but they do not have any direct evidence of such a deal being worked out. Instead, they’ve relied on two sources who claim that Nadal recorded an ad for PokerStars in Barcelona on April 30. Apparently, such rumors have also been reported in the Spanish media, though PokerStars themselves have declined to comment on whether or not any agreement has been reached with Nadal.Meanwhile, more companies have continued to make payments to the Spanish government for their operations in the country over the past four years. The latest to do so is 888 Holdings, the parent company of 888 Poker. After a self-assessment, 888 will be paying less than €8 million, which is below what many analysts predicted.The move puts 888 in line with several other notable firms who have agreed to settle their debts with Spain, including bwin.party, Sportingbet and Betfair. The big question remaining is whether PokerStars will agree to such an arrangement. If they were to do so, the figure they’d owe to the Spanish government would likely dwarf those paid by other operators, with some guessing the final total could be as high as €200 million.
