Editor
PokerStars is making its return to Italy in July for the PokerStars Italian Poker Challenge. Set to be held at the casino of Campione d’Italia, right near Lake Lugano in the northern Italian region of Lombardy.
The Italian Poker Challenge will take place from June 30-July 7 and will feature 28 events during the eight days.
The official PokerStars Italian site released the following statement about the quickly upcoming series: (translated from Italian).
With a rich schedule suitable for all players, from beginners to more experienced poker players, Italian Poker Challenge offers the events and surrounding environment capable of offering an unforgettable live poker experience.
High Roller Tournaments. PLO variants. Freerolls, €90 satellites and special formats. Regardless of your skill level, you are sure to find the table that’s right for you in the first edition of the Italian Poker Challenge.”
This marks a return to the familiar spot where PokerStars went in March of this year for a successful series that broke a six-year hiatus in holding events in Italy. That March series was part of a new initiative by PokerStars to introduce more regional events to various areas for the PokerStars Open events.
The March series had eleven events, highlighted by the Main Event which drew a large 1,423 entries. Each event throughout had good numbers, indicating that there is a drive for poker in this region, hence PokerStars’ return with an even bigger series with the Italian Poker Challenge.
The series will be happening concurrently with the 2025 WSOP, where most of the poker world’s focus will be turned to. But the Italian Poker Challenge will nevertheless offer tournament poker options for European pro poker players who elected to stay in Europe for the summer and for local recreational players alike.
Small Town, Big Stakes
Campione d’Italia is a town of 1,748, as of the last census in 2021. The casino and related tourism are the main source of local employment. Lake Lugano and the surrounding mountains provide a beautiful backdrop.
Though small in size, it’s rich in history. The strangest fact about it is that it’s completely disconnected from the rest of Italy, surrounded on all sides by Switzerland. The reasons for that bizarre geographical status date back to the eighth century. In more recent centuries, residents have had opportunities to formally join Switzerland, but declined them despite relying on the Swiss government in many ways.
Despite the town’s pleasing character, it fell on hard times recently, from which it is currently rebounding. Casino de Campione, which traces its history back to World War I, went bankrupt and closed in summer 2018. The pandemic compounded the difficulties, along with a forced unification with the Italian economy and thus the European Union.
Now, things are on the upswing again. The casino reopened in 2022. Becoming the go-to venue for this stop on the PokerStars tour will help put it on the radar for a broader audience of poker players. Despite its long history, it’s a modern-looking property, with the old building having been torn down in 2007 and the casino reopening in a new facility, perfect for hosting this sort of high-end poker event.
