Shambhala, the second casino to open in Russia’s Primorye Economic Zone near Vladivostok, has revealed plans to open the region’s only poker club.
Citing the well-known prevalence of Russian players in major tournament series around the world such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and European Poker Tour (EPT), Shambhala said it hopes to create a new home for poker in the country that could also serve as a destination for professional players from around the world.
“We will fill the club with tournaments and create a convenient, friendly platform for communication,” explained General Director of Shambhala CJSC, Maxim Smolentsev.
“It’s a good development here – with our help, poker in the region can start to live an interesting life.
“Inside the casino, the poker club is always a special place, and in the near future Shambhala will become a home for everyone who loves poker, who plays online, who travels abroad to play poker, who loves this game and appreciates communication.”
According to Smolentsev, the nearest poker club in Russia is located more than 5,000km away, “beyond the Urals” mountain range.
When open, the new poker club will observe strict social distancing measures with players sitting at a safe distance from each other, according to Shambhala Poker Club manager Dmitry Selivanov.
Opened in October, Shambhala features 5,200 square meters of gaming space, a restaurant, two fast food venues and a theater, with development of a second phase planned to get underway from 2022.