Leon Tsoukernik Selling King's Resort; Still to Host 2024 WSOP Europe
The owner of King's Resort, the largest poker venue in Europe and the home of World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), announced that he is selling the casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic and stepping away from the casino business.
As reported by the German poker site hochgepokert.com, Czech entrepreneur Leon Tsoukernik sold his 60% of shares to two other stakeholders, including Scott Hanna, a member of the King's team since it started in 2003.
The shares are thought to be valued at €300 to €400 million, though the exact value is unknown.
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"New Business Ventures"
In a press release, King's Resort stated that Tsoukernik plans "to exit the gaming sector to pursue new business ventures," a decision that comes after "the successful launch of the online betting platform Kingsbet."
"Tsoukernik plans to dedicate his time to ventures he had previously sidelined, focusing primarily on the real estate sector and fulfilling his dream of constructing a Jewish synagogue in Mariánské Lázně," the statement read.
Hochgepokert.com also published comments from Hanna, who said that "although Leon is leaving the gaming business, he remains very motivated to see the business continue to grow and will continue to serve as an equity partner in related land development projects in West Bohemia."
"I look forward to continuing to work with the team, our customers and partners," he said. Our aim is to maintain Kings' reputation as THE address for entertainment and excellent service in our sector. We expect the retail business to continue to grow and our new online product - Kingsbet - to successfully launch. We will be watching with interest as Leon begins a new chapter in his life."
Despite the change in ownership, poker at King's Resort will continue as normal, including with the upcoming WSOP Europe festival with 15 bracelet events and €15 million in guaranteed prize pools.
"We expect him (Tsoukernik) to be our guest when the World Series of Poker Europe comes to us from Las Vegas in September."
Tsoukernik himself has been active on the felt. He has more than $5.3 million in live tournament earnings and took down a 2019 WSOPE €100,000 Short Deck event for $1.2 million.
