Starting a Poker Club in Dumaguete, Philippines – Project Log

[CBP_Marko]

Hi everyone,

I’d like to share a project I’ve been working on and document the process here, mainly to exchange experiences and get feedback from people who’ve been around poker and poker businesses longer than I have.

I’m a German expat, living permanently in the Philippines for several years now. Over time, I noticed something interesting:
Despite a solid poker player base and a growing expat community, there is currently no established, structured poker club in Dumaguete City.

So I decided to explore whether it’s realistically possible to build one – legally, sustainably, and community-driven.

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What this project is (and isn’t)​

This is not an advertisement and not a game offer.
I’m documenting:

• the planning phase
• legal and regulatory questions
• location scouting
• budgeting and risk assessment
• community building challenges
• mistakes, dead ends, and learnings

Think of it as a real-world case study rather than a pitch.

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Rough project outline​

• Location: Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental (Philippines)
• Concept: small to mid-scale poker club with tournaments & limited cash games
• Focus: live poker, community, expats + locals
• Scale: intentionally conservative at the start
• Goal: test viability before scaling

I’m currently in the research & setup phase, not operation.

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Why Dumaguete?​

For those unfamiliar with the area:

• University city with stable population
• Growing expat scene
• Relatively low operational costs
• No direct competition (which is both an opportunity and a risk)

Poker interest exists, but organization and structure don’t – yet.

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Questions I’m actively working on​

• Regulatory boundaries and licensing realities
• Cultural differences in poker perception
• Sustainability vs. one-off events
• Trust-building in a small city
• Avoiding the typical “short-lived poker room” trap

If anyone here has experience with:

• poker clubs in emerging markets
• Southeast Asia poker ecosystems
• legal gray zones vs. best practices
• or simply lessons learned from failed or successful clubs

I’d genuinely appreciate insights.

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Documentation​

I’m also documenting parts of the journey on YouTube (purely as a personal project log, no monetized games or offers).
If anyone is interested in following along visually, I can share the link , but the core discussion is meant to happen here.

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Thanks for reading.
Happy to answer questions, and even happier to learn from people who’ve been there before.

Marko YoutubeCleverBenefitPoker

 

[rei signo]

Congratulations, young man! You're in the fastest growing region in the world, with big tournaments and great prizes, and you're close to becoming a major event entrepreneur. Take advantage of the fact that the big games, both current and future, will be close to you in other regions and invest in building an excellent poker house - it will be fantastic!

 

[Emily Trott]

Best wishes for success in your venture! ❤️

 

[CBP_Marko]

Herzlichen Glückwunsch, junger Mann! Du befindest dich in der am schnellsten wachsenden Region der Welt, mit großen Turnieren und tollen Preisgeldern, und bist kurz davor, ein erfolgreicher Event-Unternehmer zu werden. Nutze die Tatsache, dass die großen Spiele – sowohl aktuelle als auch zukünftige – in anderen Regionen in deiner Nähe stattfinden werden, und investiere in den Aufbau eines erstklassigen Pokerhauses – es wird fantastisch!

Hope so , we will see how the journey goes ! I`ll give some Updates ! Take Care and be blessed !

Ich wünsche dir viel Erfolg bei deinem Vorhaben! ❤️

Thank you, lady! I wish you and your family the best of health! Take care of yourself!