A recently issued press release has announced that a new live gambling event concept, entitled The Festival Series, is set to debut in Tallinn, Estonia from June 7-13.* The weeklong series is set to combine “the best live poker, casino and sports events all in one scene.” As per the organizer, Acroud, The Festival will be making several stops across various cities, starting in Europe, with a Bratislava stop also planned for later this year. Additional destination cities and casino gaming venues have yet to be announced.
Beyond what you’ll see at a typical live poker event series, namely tournaments and cash games, The Festival will feature an array of competitive roulette and blackjack tournaments as well. Moreover, the 24/7 action during the week-long festivities will also include multiple celebrations and leisure activities via which participants can get acquainted with and enjoy the destination cities. For example, at the Tallinn stop some activities scheduled include a beach party, a beer tour through Old Town, and go karting.
The Festival’s debut will be taking place at Tallinn’s Olympic Park Casino while stop #2 in Bratislava will be held at the Banco Casino in September. Popular in European circles, Sviten Special will have some time in the spotlight as a featured tournament, as will Pot Limit Omaha, Open Face Chinese, Progressive Knockout (PKO), a deepstack event, high roller event, and an 8-Game mix. The main event will be a €550 no limit hold’em freezeout spread over three days of play. Moreover, the Bratislava stop will be the first to feature a competitive sports betting component as well.
Beyond what what will clearly be a fantastic overall experience, players will have the opportunity to compete for massive cash prizes throughout each event stop. The Festival will soon be publicizing a variety of “experiences” that can be booked for event buy-ins, accommodation, parties, and all-inclusive packages.
Online Qualifiers & Event Coverage
Beyond directly traveling and buying in to events held at The Festival stops, players will also have the chance to qualify via online satellites at sites like OlyBet (the online arm of Olympic Entertainment Group). In fact, more than half a dozen partners (to be publicly revealed in the coming days and weeks) have already signed on including casino sites, sports betting operators, and online poker operators. In line with the uniqueness of The Festival, satellites will also run across all three verticals, giving poker players, casino game players, and sports bettors the chance to win all-inclusive packages for relatively small stakes. That inclusivity ensures that The Festival will be open to players of all bankroll sizes, and something for everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy.
Moreover, on top of the one-of-a-kind experience that The Festival is set to offer participants, players will also have the opportunity to shine bright, with event coverage slated to be broadcast on Twitch, as well as via live reporting on the poker tournaments.
A Proud Founder
Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, founder of The Festival, has been organizing parties and events since he was just 16 years old and is perhaps best known in poker circles as the founder of the Cash Game Festival, which has proven to be a popular and successful poker series since its inception back in 2014. “I’ve always wondered why there’s no live sportsbetting or casino betting event, and I’ve been talking to people about doing this for the last three years. Now it’s finally going to happen,” said von Zweigbergk. “For me the event itself isn’t just about the gambling, but it’s also about the destination. Bring your partner, have a great vacation, enjoy the destination, and along the way maybe you’ll even win some money.”
* A full events schedule appears on The Festival website. All planned events are subject to COVID contingency.
