Hello all,
I currently reside in the US and want to move to Europe. I am an avid mountain climber and am hoping to move close to the Alps. I have supported myself for a number of years playing online poker and was wondering if this is a possibility in Switzerland.
So, all in all Geneva seemed like a possibility. I would like to live in a metropolitan area and my girlfriend will need employment, so this rules out small mountain towns.
I am just starting the search so any info is awesome!
Nice to meet you all!

Interesting, I wonder if you can get a permit as a Poker player because the position can't be filled locally... How much have you won /expect to win to live in Switzerland ?

I will have an average amount of money, but dont wanna get to into this. Dont know if you have kept up with the news, but things in the US have not been well for online players lately, so that is part of the inspiration to move somewhere I can play legally (although I guess it is not actually legal there, it is not enforced).
Hoping to get a decent 1-2 bedroom apt with my girlfriend for 750-1250 Euro a month, with her income also if she can find a job. We both have MA degrees in humanities, and she can speak French pretty well. I would like to have a part time job for steady/secure income also if possible.
Also, forgot to mention that live casino poker nearby would be an additional bonus!
I have no idea about permits, thought I would post before looking through all the mess.

Good luck.

You won't get a permit unless you are employed*, and if you dig through this site a little you'll see how difficult that is for U.S. citizens. Your girlfriend will need an employer as well. Now, if you are filthy rich, the game rules change, but I don't think that is the case here.

Edit- employed by a company here. Self employed is next to impossible for someone moving here from the U.S.

And you certainly won't get an apartment in Geneva for 750 - 1250 Euros a month.

Good luck and report back if you do manage it though. (Welcome to the forum BTW)

Thanks. I guess I should look into other countries where I will have access to the Alps. I was looking into Italy, but the redtape and paperwork make it seem terribly difficult as well.
Maybe I should look into Germany and Austria instead, they seem to be fairly lax about online poker and have easier immigration laws.
Thanks again and feel free to keep adding!

In Germany even a small city will have lots of little "casinos" but I'm not sure if they have much more than video poker. Certainly, Gambling is not as regulated there as it is in the US. I remember trying to explain Las Vegas to some people.. I didn't quite know what to say.

When I was in Germany, I followed http://www.toytowngermany.com/ a bit and my vague recollection is that a permit is possible if you show that you can support yourself. You might want to go look for relevant threads there. Where I was, one could certainly find housing in your price range, but the alps were 5+ hours by train.

What gave it away? The part about being a mountain climber?
Wouldn't an online poker forum be a better place to ask about this?
There are a number of casinos in Switzerland, including a couple here in Ticino and one just across the lake in this little
patch of Italy (Campione d'Italia http://www.casinocampione.it/en/) They all seem to have American poker, though not online.
Without a job or significant assets, though, it will be tough to get a permit.

Hi,

The son of a colleague of mine goes to school with the son of a big Poker Champion. I don't know many details, except that they live in Pully, and that he AND his wife driver Ferraris, so either he is very good at cards, or very lucky...

cheers
Alex

what about Slovenia?

The son (early 20s) of one of my friends has done pretty well for himself too playing poker (online and at live events) but was "advised" by his Dad to stop and concentrate on his academic studies / musical career aspirations. He's a pretty headstrong lad so I'm guessing he's still playing.