Poker tournaments in Campione d'Italia

Campione d'Italia is a small Italian enclave on the shore of Lake Lugano, surrounded by Switzerland. Its casino, the Casinò di Campione, closed after bankruptcy in July 2018 and reopened in January 2022. Poker is played in the PokerStars Live Room inside the casino, which runs daily cash games, tournaments and festivals.

Games and buy-ins

• Cash games: during its September 2026 festival the room listed Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha (4, 5 and 6 cards), double-board and bomb pot games, and mixed games.
• Weekly tournaments: about five a week, mostly evening starts, with buy-ins around €120 to €180 and the bigger guarantees on Sunday and Thursday.
• Festivals: PokerStars brings several series a year. In 2026 these included the PokerStars Open (January to February, €1,100 Main Event), the Italian Series of Poker (September, €500 Main Event) and the Sunday Million Live (October, €250).

Entry

• You must be 18 or over and carry a valid passport or ID card.
• Every visitor registers at the casino's reception and receives an entry card.
• Dress is informal but neat. At festivals, sportswear such as tracksuits and shorts was not allowed.
• Italy uses the euro and tournament buy-ins are in euros, but the casino lets you buy chips in Swiss francs too.
• The casino is open every day except 24 December, from noon to 4 am (4:30 am on Friday and Saturday).

Getting there: take the train to Lugano, then a bus or taxi (about 15 minutes). Lugano airport at Agno is about 20 minutes away by taxi and Milan Malpensa about 50 minutes. Drivers on Swiss motorways need a Swiss vignette. The casino's covered car park is free. You reach Campione through Switzerland, so carry documents that are valid for entry there.

What to bring: passport or ID card, and euros.