Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohhh
Hello
I also wonder what countries are good for online poker these days?
Main goal is to be able to play as many sites as possible legally.
Finland
Austria
Mexico
Canada
Eastern european countries?
Baltic countries?
South America? (Which countries?)
Anything in asia?
Taking some poorer country runs into problems if one has or needs a work, benefits, pension. Some might run into issues without a steady internet. Eastern Asia has laws against gambling, and in the countries or states/regions where it is legal, it is questionable, if one wants to play on online sites outside the country, and taxes can be there also, and visa issues.
Mexico (as India) is maybe six months per visa but getting more/multivisa doesn't rate to be a big problem (at least coming back should work, as it does in many EU countries for the EU members and possibly for the English language countries. But it doesn't work in every country inside the EU if it is stated that no instant return or so, like is the case in the USA) and living in the USA, it isn't too far to have a second flat there. Can think the same inside the EU or close to it (if online poker is fine there).
Canada is like the UK, I suppose, getting in a with a points system, perhaps. Inside the EU it is all easier and there one can pick either a cheaper place like Romania, Bulgaria that are in the international online pool. Estonia is a step up from that, being like Portugal; the first has their own GG skin and Portugal is more or less with Spain and France only, and not sure if it is illegal to play elsewhere (I think it is in Spain, that has okay live action also). Spain and France also tax poker, and the rake is higher.
Finland is tax-free inside the EU, and the only downside (for a start) is that they will block money transfers to gambling outside the country, and what the implications are is unknown but might get clear in 2023. In the best of the cases, it is like Norway, so can play anywhere, not blocked by the sites and no regulations ever sets in. Not sure if it is legal in Norway, but it is legal in Finland. With the flats, one can also consider buying, fully or partly, e.g. in Finland, one can pay some 15% and maybe get it (I don't know what it takes, but seems cool, and the rent also is then lower as it isn't the rent then, as it is like yours then, and when you leave, you get the 15% back with interests even), and at least one company, Lumo, if you have a bank account here, rents a flat, at this time, though maybe with some higher cost, to anyone without questions if one has a clear record of payments.
Austria is tax-free up to some 10k of incomes, I think, and to avoid the additional self-employment tax, one gets a full private health insurance and one is good if one gets a flat rented (I read it can be difficult in Vienna). Austria has live poker action and the rake is so-so (heard there might a mandatory tip also). Maybe they still smoke inside the casinos in Austria.
Ireland, not sure of the regulations at this time but seems to be open internationally, and the taxes are not high as far as I saw, and even the self-employment taxes are not horrible if one has to pay them at some point; no points system inside the EU (don't know otherwise) and easy as the UK in the past to get in, as long as one gets a flat rented (I read they like recommendations).
With some luck, Scotland gets in the EU some year -- they have live poker also (mainly NLH, it seems) with a lower rake than even in Spain. It is possibly OK, though higher, in London also. In Scotland, they want to know the source of your money, in cases. The Netherlands seems to be on the regulation about now and international but like Dublin (pick a cheaper city), especially Amsterdam (high rake live poker) is a costly city, and getting a flat in Netherlands might have issues, as it might be similar to Sweden (international pool, much like Finland but regulated so the rakeback can be lower and some limitations, as regulated - not sure if legal to play elsewhere, but there has never been a law against it, so yes is likely, if accepted by the site. Stockholm and Helsinki have a casino also, that rates to be playable but less of a fish-fest than in Spain or Austria for example), that one is renting part-time flats, or otherwise it can be impossible. The legal issue seems to be that the rents need to be lower, so they are up to impossible to get (in Sweden at least) or then one gets a part-time or whatever flat for higher costs, where the main issue might be that it is part-time.
