Shambala casino to add poker club

The casino believes there’s an opportunity in the number of Russian players in major poker tournaments around the world.

Russia.- Shambala Casino, the second casino to open in Russia’s Primorye Economic Zone, says it plans to open the region’s only poker club.

The company believes there’s an opportunity to be explored since there are many Russians among the top players at international poker tournaments. It aims to become a hub for professional players in the future.

General director Maxim Smolentsev said: “We will fill the club with tournaments and create a convenient, friendly platform for communication.

“Inside the casino, the poker club is always a special place, and in the near future Shambala 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.”

Smolentsev said the nearest poker club is located more than 5,000 km away from Primorye.

Shambala opened in mid-October as the second casino in the Primorye Economic Free Zone, after Summit Ascent’s Tigre de Cristal, which is also expanding. Shambala expects to attract about 100,000 people a year.

The RUB$3.5bn (US$45m) venue features 5,200 square meters of gaming space, a restaurant, two fast-food restaurants and a theatre.

A second phase of development is slated to begin in 2022. Once fully complete, it will boast a range of hotels, restaurants and bars, a golf course, amusement park, water park, diving club and other family and sports recreation facilities. The total cost is estimated at RUB8bn (US$104m).