Italy has long been prominent in poker’s international landscape. The European Poker Tour (EPT) made seven stops in Sanremo between 2008 and 2014 and hosted EPT Campione in 2012.
Now, the flames of Italy’s poker legacy are being reignited, thanks to a new partnership between Casinò di Campione and Sisal S.p.A., which will bring the renowned PokerStars brand back to the forefront of live poker events in the country.
Agreement Outline; More Details Coming Soon
The agreement, signed on September 10, 2024, sees Sisal, a leading Italian gaming operator and part of the Flutter Group, joining forces with PokerStars to establish a dedicated poker room and host live tournaments at Casinò di Campione. The collaboration marks a significant step in reviving Italy’s role as a top poker destination, with PokerStars drawing on its 20+ years of expertise in organizing world-class live events.
Under the terms of the four-year deal, which includes an option for a three-year extension, PokerStars will enhance its brand presence by creating an “always-on” poker room at the casino, ensuring a regular schedule of live poker tournaments. More details on the poker room’s official opening and the first events are expected in the coming months.
Casinò di Campione will become PokerStars’ third managed poker room, joining The Hippodrome Casino in London and the PokerStars Live Poker Room at Okada Manila.
Cedric Billot, Director of Live Event Operations at PokerStars, said: “We look forward to kicking off the partnership with Campione and offering the best poker experience to our passionate Italian audience. We are extremely proud to be announcing this agreement, having worked hard to get here, but this is just the beginning of an important chapter for the PokerStars brand in Italy. We will work together with the local Sisal team to make this a successful partnership and offer an epic ‘experience.”
Casinò di Campione, located on the scenic shores of Lake Lugano in Como, has been a hub for poker players across Europe. Chairman of Casinò di Campione, Mario Venditti, highlighted the importance of this new relationship: “With the poker tournaments, Casinò di Campione starts again with the competitive events that qualify its offer, enlivening the calendar of one of Europe’s most important gaming houses. This is a further step forward in the development of the company’s activity, which will undoubtedly increase its visibility”.
Continuing Strategic Collaborations
In August, Julien Liarte, PokerStars’ Live Events Senior Business Development Manager for Europe, told PokerNews that the company is actively expanding its footprint by forming strategic collaborations with other major poker tours.
By partnering with renowned venues like Casinò di Campione and working in tandem with experienced operators like Sisal, PokerStars is creating exciting opportunities for local and international poker players. This new venture is expected to boost Italy’s poker scene by offering top-quality live events.
