Slovakian are doing a good job on the world poker scene and this is probably due to the gambling environment in their home country. Gambling in Slovakia is legal. It has been so ever since 1992 when Slovakia became a state governing its own. Before then, Slovakia was part of a bigger country known for many years as Czechoslovakia. Needless to say, legalizing a trade or a sport is tantamount to sanctioning it and endorsing it; and so Slovakian have, for a great part, developed a positive attitude towards the game of poker. Obviously, this would have been different if the state poker law prohibited poker or gambling in general, in which case, many people would have frowned at the mention of the game.
Accessibility to Gambling Places in Slovakia
Slovakia is said to have around 21 casinos offering a wide variety of betting games. These casinos offer slot machines, poker and other betting games. Anyone in the country who wishes to gamble can access facilities in the cities of Kosice, Nitra, Piestany, Zilina, Bratislava and Trnava. Well known casinos where poker rooms are available include Casino Nitra; Casino Piestany; Casino Zilina; Casino-Cafe Reduta; Olympic Casino Arkadia Trnava; Olympic Casino Eurovea Bratislava; Olympic Casino in Carlton Hotel; and Regency Casino.
When it comes to online poker and online gambling in general, Slovakia happens to be friendly as betting online goes on without harassment from the authorities. Anyone in Slovakia can access online poker sites and play whatever level of stakes they wish. They can also transfer cash liberally to and from their personal bank accounts in the course of gambling without fearing repercussions from the government. This is one reason why the gambling environment in Slovakia is vibrant compared to other countries where poker enthusiasts play online poker as a risk because of legal limitations.
The law on online gambling as it stands in Slovakia
Online gambling is regulated by the Gambling Act of 2005. The relevant sections as far as gaming online is concerned are Section 9 as well as 29. In Slovakia, investors who host online gambling sites are licensed by the Ministry of Finance. And these operators do pay taxes so the government also benefits from online gambling. The tax angle is one that has led to many countries legalizing online gambling. They have realized that depriving their citizens of licenses to run online poker or other forms of gambling does not necessarily block gamblers from engaging in what they love most. It only deprives the state of revenues.
Online gambling sites in Slovakia are so user friendly that many poker lovers feel encouraged to sharpen their skills online. There are even sites that offer betting services in local languages, meaning that language cannot be a barrier to those gamblers who cannot speak international languages like English, French or German. It would be realistic to say that this language aspect has increased the number of people engaged in online poker in Slovakia. Another factor that makes online gambling sites user friendly in Slovakia is the fact that they have made the Euro acceptable. This means that even foreigners can play online and use money from their bank accounts directly without the complication of exchange rates and such other modalities of transacting.
Another thing that makes Slovaks happy about online gambling being legalized in their country is that it reduces the temptation to play on foreign based gambling sites. Whereas being able to play online poker and other online games on sites hosted elsewhere is an added advantage, there is also the risk of falling onto a site hosted by unscrupulous people. If this happens, a player risks having bank account details and other financial information compromised. But for home based sites, it is easy to confirm legality.