15 Dec
BigI;n global terms, the European nation of Andorra is not very well known.
However, the 85,000 person country perched up in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain could soon be another country on the poker circuit. This is because a final bill to legislate and approve live and online gaming in the country was recently produced after over a year and a half since it was first presented.
If passed, companies and networks would be able to apply for a Class D licence – which allows companies offering games which incorporate both skill and luck – to operate in the country.
As a part of the bill, all of the applications for gaming licences in Andorra would be handled by a new government body, which will be known as the Consell Regulador Andorra del Joc (CRAJ).
The legalisation and regulation of online poker in Andorra is a step in the right direction for the game. However, online poker, and online gaming in general are not likely to be widely popular in the country if only those within Andorra borders are able to participate.
That is because with around 85,000 people, the country simply does not have enough people to sustain a major online gaming and poker market. However, the situation might be quite different with live poker.
According to the BBC, Andorra attracts around 10 million tourists every year, and the money they spend in the country accounts for roughly 80 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
With such a large number of tourists (considering the size of the country), it is likely that a brick-and-mortar poker operation would attract a solid number of players to the felt on their travels to the country.
The resort style setting that exists within the picturesque mountain scenery of the country could also play into Andorra hands with regards to putting it on the live poker map. Major poker events have been held in similar places with the intention of having them in exotic locations, rather than in major cities or gaming hubs.
Examples of such events include the EPT Deauvile in the north-western French commune, along with the WPT Alpha8 St. Kitts and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas.
The success and prestige of those events indicate that Andorra could also become a home to similar poker events and festivities.
