Local participation has passed 1,000 players, but international growth will depend on regulation, sponsorship and improved air connections
Poker is beginning to generate renewed activity around Venezuelan casinos, hotels and hospitality businesses after spending more than a decade outside the country’s formal gaming market.
Manzur Pinto, General Manager of Casino del Marqués in Caracas, told Bloomberg Línea that the organised poker community has grown from approximately 150 players following the reopening of casinos to more than 1,000 today.
Pinto estimates that the sector now generates up to US$100,000 in monthly activity. However, its recovery remains overwhelmingly domestic, with international players accounting for less than 5% of participation.
The industry hopes to increase that proportion by attracting recognised poker circuits and improving the air connections needed for players to travel to Venezuela and return home easily.
Rebuilding a disrupted casino market
Venezuela’s current gaming market is very different from the one that existed before the government ordered the closure of most casinos and bingo halls in 2011.
Pinto, who has more than 25 years of casino industry experience, said the shutdown affected an estimated 100,000 direct and indirect jobs. Private or unlicensed poker games may have continued during the closure, but the absence of legal casino operations restricted large tournaments and the development of a stable competitive community.
The government began authorising casinos again gradually around 2020 and 2021. By 2022, gaming venues had resumed operations in several parts of the country.
The reopening followed years of economic contraction, hyperinflation, international sanctions and a sharp reduction in consumer purchasing power. As a result, casinos returned to a smaller and fundamentally changed market.
Pinto estimates that approximately 15 casinos are currently active in Venezuela. Caracas and Lechería are the main locations for larger poker tournaments, although events are also organised in other cities.
Weekly competitions help sustain player traffic and regular tournament activity. These are supplemented by several larger stops that bring participants together from western, central and eastern Venezuela.
Tournaments generate wider local spending
Poker tournament entry fees are allocated directly to the prize pool, with the organiser currently charging 15%, according to Pinto.
The economic effect extends beyond the casino. Players frequently travel with relatives, friends or other companions, generating demand for hotels, restaurants, transport and entertainment.
Manzur Pinto, General Manager of Casino del Marqués
“Poker works as a driver of domestic tourism. Players travel between cities, and relatives, friends and companions travel with them, generating demand for businesses that do not participate directly in organising the tournament.”
Pinto estimates that between 30% and 40% of the economic activity surrounding a tournament stop can be associated with players’ companions.
Two stops held last year in the La Guaira-Caracas area and Lechería may have generated approximately US$1 million in combined economic activity. The estimate covers entries, participant spending, event logistics and consumption at hotels, restaurants and other businesses. It does not represent casino revenue.
International poker circuits show preliminary interest
Organisations and poker circuits from Colombia, Brazil and the Caribbean have reportedly held initial discussions about including Venezuela in future schedules.
No firm agreements have been announced, and Pinto acknowledged that international expansion is likely to be gradual. Better flight connections, regulatory stability and local organisational capacity will be central to attracting overseas players.
Venezuela already has competitors who have achieved results abroad, including players based in the United States and Panama and others who have recently competed successfully in Bogotá.
Margarita Island is considered one of the strongest candidates to host an international stop because of its hotel infrastructure and tourism history. Caracas, Lechería and Barquisimeto have also been identified as possible destinations.
The longer-term objective is to establish permanent Venezuelan dates on international poker calendars, rather than relying solely on domestic events.
Proposal to recognise poker as a mind sport
Pinto is also promoting the idea of recognising poker as a mind sport in Venezuela, with its competitive dimension treated separately from real-money gambling.
The proposal includes the possible creation of a Venezuelan Poker Federation, recognition of high-performance competitors and a regulatory framework specifically for the sporting discipline.
Under this model, sporting competitions could come under the Ministry of Sport, while poker involving monetary stakes would remain subject to casino regulation.
Manzur Pinto, General Manager of Casino del Marqués
“It would mean formally recognising it as a mind sport, like chess.”
Pinto argues that non-wagering poker could be used in strategy clubs or educational environments to develop mathematical probability, game theory and decision-making skills.
He proposes that any activities involving children or young people should remain completely separated from gambling and use non-cash prizes.
Manzur Pinto, General Manager of Casino del Marqués
“It should be played for prizes, not money.”
The proposal has not yet resulted in formal recognition or the creation of a federation. Casinos would continue to provide the controlled environment needed to manage cash prizes and formal tournaments.
According to Pinto, the sector’s continued recovery will depend on long-term regulatory stability, a stronger national circuit and greater support from sponsors. Companies from the banking, technology and beverage sectors have shown some interest, although sponsorship remains limited.
Improved connectivity and agreements with established international organisers could eventually position Venezuelan poker as both a casino product and a source of tourism-related spending across several cities.
