Austria’s poker clubs are fight for their future with transitional regulations for private poker casinos due to expire on January 1. Starting that date, poker can only be legally played in Casinos Austria’s properties.
Peter Zanoni, owner of Concord Card Casinos, has vowed he will battle to keep his 12 poker properties open, claiming the gambling monopoly in the Austrian gambling law violates EU laws.
Prior to 2013, Austrian gaming laws did not consider poker a game of chance. Due to a change in the legal definition that year, it was determined that starting in 2020, poker could only be played in licensed casinos, not private poker rooms.
Zanoni said Concord employs 600 people and has 40,000 visitors per month, generating 65,000 overnight stays in Austria every year. He wants to keep his poker casinos open over said he will lobby delegates to the Austrian Parliament over the coming weeks.
The Austrian Constitutional Court is currently hearing a complaint from Concord Card Casinos, and the European Court of Justice is also being charged with the matter.
