Relocation to Montenegro for a poker player: pros and cons

The status of poker in Montenegro

Poker and other forms of gambling have been legal in the country since it gained independence in 2006. 

Gambling entertainment is an important source of budget revenue for a country with a population of 623,000 

In 2025, Montenegro updated its legislation. The new version:

• banned gambling advertising from 06:00 to 22:00;

• raised the annual fee for casinos to €100,000;

• introduced mandatory player verification;

• set out tougher penalties for allowing minors to gamble.

There are 5 casinos operating in the country: Casino Pasha, Merit Casino Royal Splendid, Maestrale Resort & Casino, Queen Casino Falkensteiner, Casino Avala. All of them are located in the resort town of Budva and its surroundings. Montenegro regularly hosts stops of international series: Eurasian Poker Tour, Triton Poker, Merit Poker. 

Online poker is not heavily regulated in the country. The legislation provides for mandatory licensing of poker rooms. However, only 888Poker obtained local permits. The other platforms have kept their offshore status. There is no local equivalent of Roskomnadzor in Montenegro — providers do not restrict access to poker room sites. 

Residents of the country are not accepted by: PokerStars, partypoker, Guts and Unibet. Several platforms forbid players from logging into the client from outside their own country. Among them are: POKEROK, Natural8 and Winamax. A resident of Russia won't be able to play poker on POKEROK while on vacation in Montenegro.

Taxes for poker players in Montenegro

You don't have to pay anything on online poker winnings. Local legislation does not recognize online play as a source of income. Taxes are levied on profit from live poker. Players are subject to the standard personal income tax rate. No tax is due on winnings up to €700. Income from €701 to €1,500 is taxed at 15%. On winnings of €1,501 and above, you must give up 23%. The money is withheld by the venue — the player does not file any declarations. 

In 2025, Aleksa Pavicevic won over $6,000,000 in a Triton Series tournament. More than $1,380,000 went to the country's budget

In 2026, Montenegro's Ministry of Finance introduced a progressive tax rate on winnings. From January 1, 2026, 10% is withheld on prizes from €50 to €1,500. On larger winnings, 15% is taken. The new scale applies to bookmakers and lotteries. The new rules were not extended to casinos. However, a worsening of conditions for poker players cannot be ruled out.

Which poker rooms accept players from Montenegro

Most online poker rooms operate in Montenegro. Among them are: GGPoker, RedStar Poker, 888Poker, WPT Global, CoinPoker, PokerKing. Let's discuss them in more detail.

GGPoker. The industry's leading poker room. Operating since 2014. The platform's legal status is provided by a license from the Isle of Man. In the evenings it gathers up to 400,000 people online. GGPoker dominates thanks to: two welcome promos for newcomers, record-breaking rake races in all poker formats, huge jackpots and good software. In September 2020, the room entered the Guinness Book of Records with a tournament carrying a $27,559,500 guarantee. In 2024, GGPoker bought the WSOP brand for $500,000,000.

Every day the room runs more than 1,000 poker tournaments. Most MTTs are played under NL Holdem rules. About 10% of the schedule is dedicated to PLO events. GGPoker also holds the lead in tournament series prize money. In 2025, the platform hosted the GG World Championship festival with a $250,000,000 guarantee. Among the regular MTTs, we'll highlight GGMillion$ with a $2,000,000 prize pool and a $10,000 buy-in. Since the fall of 2025, the room has run a freeroll with a $100,000 guarantee every week.

RedStar Poker. One of the main poker rooms in the iPoker network. RSP was launched in 2005. Red Star Poker operates under a Curaçao license. At peak times, more than 10,000 people play at the room's tables. RedStar's advantages include: a 200% up to $2,000 first deposit bonus, a clear loyalty program with up to 35% rakeback, daily leaderboards for Twister players and satellites to European festivals.

RedStar Poker runs several hundred tournaments daily. Almost all MTTs are played under no-limit hold'em rules. The room doesn't organize major series. The guarantees of local festivals rarely exceed €5,000,000. RedStar Poker's most expensive regular tournament awards €45,000. Freerolls can't be counted among RedStar's strengths. The prize pool of free MTTs does not exceed €25.

888Poker is better suited to beginner tournament players. The room runs lots of freerolls and MTTs with affordable buy-ins

888Poker. The popular bookmaker launched its poker offering in 2002. 888Poker is the only room with a Montenegrin license. In recent years, 888Poker's online traffic has dropped to a few thousand people. The platform's advantages include: a 100% up to $1,000 first deposit bonus, a good ratio of prizes to the number of participants in MTTs, and a no-deposit bonus. The brand gives new players $8.8 worth of tickets.

888Poker runs over 100 tournaments daily. NL Holdem dominates the schedule. 888Poker doesn't host notable festivals. The room rarely allocates more than $2,000,000 to a series. On the other hand, the brand pays increased attention to freerolls. The Freerolls Festival promotion lets you play free tournaments with decent prize money every day.

WPT Global. A poker room from the owners of the hugely popular live festival series World Poker Tour. The platform debuted in 2022. In 3 years, WPT Global broke into the top 3 by number of players. In the room's favor are: a welcome promo of up to $3,348, convenient software and satellites to World Poker Tour stops. 

WPT Global offers an extensive MTT schedule. Almost all of the platform's tournaments are played under NL Holdem. The room also organizes respectable festivals. For example, in March 2026 WPT Global ran the Asia Series with a $15,000,000 guarantee. The room's schedule also includes free MTTs. Knowing the password will let you participate in most of them. They are published on many specialized poker sites. Occasionally, WPT Global organizes impressive free series. For instance, in October 2025 the platform held a freeroll festival worth $2,000,000.

CoinPoker. The industry's leading crypto poker room. It started in 2017. The brand's legal status is provided by an Anjouan license. The platform's advantages include: a 150% up to $2,000 first deposit bonus, cash-game world championships and the chance to get a professional contract in the CoinMasters promotion. In 2022, the largest pot in the history of online poker was played on CoinPoker: the winner of the hand took $7,750,652.

To celebrate the launch of its updated client, CoinPoker announced the Level Up Series festival with zero rake. At the end of the month, the room returned the rake to players

The regular tournament schedule suits low- and mid-stakes players. The lobby has many events with buy-ins from $1 to $25. More expensive tournaments can be found during online festivals, like the Coin Series of Online Poker. In 2024, the platform held a CSOP with a $25,000,000 guarantee. The room also runs freerolls with prize pools of $25–$30.

PokerKing. Part of the Winning Poker Network. Operates under a Curaçao license. The platform was launched in 2011. The room's main advantages: a 100% up to $2,000 first deposit bonus, a VIP system with up to 85%–90% rakeback, support for multitabling up to 24 tables. We'll also note the platform's versatility: Pokerking offers clients for all popular operating systems.

Every day the room runs several hundred tournaments. No-limit Texas hold'em dominates the lobby. Pokerking runs some of the most expensive festivals online. Series guarantees reach $50,000,000–$60,000,000. Several times a year the room runs The Venom. Its prize pool reaches $10,000,000. The tournament champion gets at least $1,000,000. At the end of 2025, the weekly Phil's Thrill was added to the lobby. It became the most expensive event in the lobby: entry to the MTT costs $10,300.

Which live series take place in the country

Montenegro regularly hosts local festivals and major tournament series. The country has hosted stops of: World Poker Tour, Eurasian Poker Tour, Triton Poker. The Russian Poker Tour has also dropped by Montenegro a few times. Let's discuss the most interesting festivals:

• Merit Poker Montenegro Championship. It ran from January 13 to 25, 2026 at the Splendid Conference & Spa hotel. The series' prize pool exceeded €1,000,000. The Main Event awarded €500,000. The series schedule included 15 tournaments. Entry to the most affordable events cost €100. In parallel, players played cash at the casino at stakes from NL500 to NL10000.

• Triton Series. Stops of the series are regularly held in Montenegro. As of March 2026, the country has hosted the festival six times. In 2025, the series was held at Maestral Resort & Casino. Jesse Lonis won the Main Event and $3,393,656. In the tournament with a $200,000 buy-in, the title went to Aleksa Pavicevic. The trophy was supplemented by more than $6,000,000 in prize money. The most expensive tournament series will drop by Montenegro again in 2026. 

Triton is the flagship series for Montenegro. In terms of prize money, the festival surpasses most competitors

In between major festivals, local casinos run local series. The current schedule can be found on the websites of Splendid, Maestral and other casinos. Announcements are also published on the venues' social media accounts.

Pros and cons of moving to Montenegro

In Montenegro's favor are:

• Poker's legal status. To play, it's enough to walk into one of Budva's casinos. In Russia, poker is banned outside the four gambling zones. 

• The local RKN does not block poker rooms. Montenegro's regulators and internet providers do not restrict the operation of online platforms. In Russia, accessing the POKEROK site or another room's site gets harder every year.

• Good climate. On the coldest winter days, the temperature rarely drops below +10. In other seasons it's warmer: in spring the average temperature is around +16, in summer +25, in autumn +20. Residents of Montenegro don't have to wear a down jacket for 5–6 months.

• Nature. The Adriatic Sea and the mountains will break up the routine of poker sessions. 

• Compactness. The trip from anywhere in the country to a casino takes a few hours. In Russia, the journey to the nearest gambling venue can stretch over days.

Among the drawbacks of relocation are:

• Paperwork. Russian citizens are allowed to stay in Montenegro for up to 30 days. Local legislation lets you double the period via a visa run. After that, you need to obtain a residence permit. The simplest way to get a residence permit is to register a legal entity. In total, the procedure costs €3,000–€4,000.

• Boredom. The "heart" of live poker in Montenegro is Budva. 20,000 people live in the town. A week of walks and you'll know Budva inside out. Life in a small town isn't for everyone. The country's capital — Podgorica, with a population of 150,000 — is livelier, but you couldn't call the difference colossal. 

• Rent. Since 2022, rental prices have doubled. A long-term apartment costs from €600 a month. In summer the price of housing is significantly higher.

The situation with flights can't be counted among the advantages either. There is no direct connection between Russia and Montenegro. You have to make a transfer everywhere. 

How to learn to play poker

It's hard for a beginner poker player to move to Montenegro. A plane ticket, renting housing, obtaining a residence permit — it all requires money. To build up a solid bankroll and afford relocation, you need to work on yourself and raise your level of skill. There are many ways to learn poker: watching training courses, reading books, discussing hands with other players, analyzing hands in software. A variety of sources isn't always beneficial. Most poker players study chaotically, which slows down progress.

The FF Start program is a step toward a systematic approach. The course will let you lay a solid foundation for future success. In FF Start, students are introduced to: the math of poker, opponent types, final-table strategy and short-stack play. Step onto the professional path together with FF. 

FAQ

Is poker legal in Montenegro?

Yes, poker and other forms of gambling entertainment are legal in the country. The situation with online play is a bit more complicated. Local legislation provides for licensing, but in practice rooms without permits are not blocked. 

What taxes do poker players pay?

Casino winnings are subject to a progressive personal income tax scale. Prizes up to €700 are exempt from tax. On profit from €701 to €1,500, the casino withholds 15%. On prizes over €1,501, a rate of 23% applies. Online poker winnings are not taxed.

Which poker rooms operate in Montenegro?

From Montenegro you can play on: GGPoker, RedStar Poker, 888Poker, WPT Global, CoinPoker, PokerKing, Pokerdom, TigerGaming, Stake, Phenom Poker, RPTBET. Players from Montenegro are not accepted by: PokerStars, partypoker, Guts, Unibet.