Albania casinos have been in the news non-stop since 1994, when the
Hyatt Regency opened the first and only casino. While this area of East
Europe is very picky on gambling, poker houses were always more common
than actual casinos. When the Hyatt opened the casino in 1994, citizens
were delighted to have a legal and safe place to play all the games
that they were only able to play for fun before. The casino has been a
very popular place for both citizens of the area, as well as those that
travel there on business or pleasure. Gambling has a long history in
this area of Europe, so there was no doubt that Albania would be
successful with the Hyatt casino located in Tirana.
While the casino has been a raging success, there was news in the fall
of 2006 that Hyatt was threatening to close the casino. The reason for
this is that the taxes on the slot machines keep climbing higher and
higher, and they have now gotten so out of hand that Hyatt is
threatening to close the casino. Chances are that a deal will be made
to keep Albania casinos open for business, but taxes will always be an
issue. Since the casino has been open since 1994, however, it has
become a large contributor to the economy, guaranteeing that Albania
casinos will have a permanent place in the country's culture. If the
Hyatt Regency can no longer keep the doors of the casino open, chances
are another hotel or casino owner will come along and there will be one
to take its place.
Albania casinos compete with many of the poker houses, because poker has
long been the favored game in the area. While blackjack, roulette, and
slots are popular, all the variants of poker remain the most popular.
No matter where you go, it seems that there are poker lovers in
attendance. The young, the old, and everyone in between knows the game
of poker; it seems to be something that is handed down from generation
to generation. Those that do not play poker in the Hyatt casino play in
the poker houses, and those that do not want to play for money play for
fun with friends and family.
Other than the issues with taxes, there is no doubt that Albania casinos
have a place in the future of a country that has a rich history of
gambling.
