Originally Posted by pucmo
It is just an eternal rumour and nothing is likely to come out of it, and even if does, you have to wonder what the rake/juice will be; likely high. And what exactly it does to e.g. tournament action.
You will also be paying taxes in all of these countries but maybe Portugal (and some possibility in Italy under 10k but that is just a rumour, and it is for hobby players, not for pros) but you will have to check that out also. There are no Russians and so, and that is a bonus. But you will still be limited compared to the more free countries, and having no Russians doesn't mean your games at some level will be easier, because there might be less players.
There are at least two bigger cities in Portugal to consider; the capital (Lisbon), and then (O)Porto is the cheaper one, and likely more rainy one but they have better live poker also, and the weather is warm enough but not too warm, all year, and it doesn't rain all the time. The sea is somewhat cold even during the summer.
I would be looking into France (south? Paris (also) might have one or so place to play poker at?), Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, if one is playing live also; PLO also) and Italy (perhaps above Milan for live purposes if there is any reasonable rake and action, or at least some tourneys. Catania is about the cheapest with some size, better weather and with a sea).
After getting a permanent residency (would be 5 year if from an EU country), you would also want to know what kind of social security and health care there is. This varies even by the regions or so.
At least the health care is like free more or less inside the EU (and not so many dangerous scorpions, snakes, spiders like e.g. in Vegas especially during summers -- they like to move during nights -- where you might not even get to an emergency because you don't have an insurance. You might also somewhat more likely get stabbed or shot there, that is extra bad considering the mentioned, and robbed, that might on the side make getting medical help impossible, if money is any good there anyway).
I don't need to pay any taxes, have free health care and everything and not too high living costs, and I speak my mother tongue. I can play anywhere (but in .it, .usa etc.) though taxes if not an EU site. Little reason to move anywhere but occasionally, and that is likely to contain the beach or/and live poker, and when I camp, it is not with black widows, scorpions, rattlesnakes, malaria and so on and so on, nor 40c (during days).
