Interview with Antonio Sapio of PartyPoker

_{PartyPoker Live Tour stop in London promises an unforgettable poker experience. (Image: Courtesy of Antonio Sapio)}

Antonio Sapio has been in event management for 20 years, mostly with PokerStars, where he ran the European Poker Tour. Now, he enjoys the freedom of being his own boss and working on exciting projects. 

We asked Antonio what inspired him to start PartyPoker. He began by saying that the business has always had a strong appetite for live events, even historically, before other operators like PokerStars entered the scene. 

Antonio said, “The only break was during COVID. After the pandemic, we sought to make live events financially sustainable. We decided to outsource the full operations to my company to ensure we could deliver quality events."

Casinos.com asked Antonio what sets apart his poker tournament from the many others in that genre.  

He did not have to search for an answer: “Our unique selling proposition is our goal of sending at least 1,000 players to play live, with many having the chance to qualify for free through numerous online promotions.”  

PartyPoker Tour has selected major cities like London, Manchester, and Glasgow.

Speaking to us from his home in Malta, the astute businessman said, “We kick off in April at the Aspers Casino in Stratford, London. 

“From April 19 to 27, it’s one of the capital's most famous venues. In June, we move to Manchester to the iconic Manchester235, a beautifully converted building over 200 years old. Finally, we head to Glasgow in August at the Alea Casino—a first for PartyPoker.” 

Some people who may be new to online poker may be considering attending one of the PartyPoker events. We wanted to know what advice he would give to new players who may feel intimidated by such events. 

Antonio was keen to encourage as wide a variety of players to attend: “We want to convey that everyone can qualify to play live.

“We target leisure and recreational players and aim to offer an easy and exciting path to enter the live poker scene, with substantial prize pools on offer.” 

Everyone likes a prize, a bonus or a surprise. We asked Antonio if benefits players get from the PartyPoker Tour package through qualification rounds. 

He directed me to the promotions on the PartyPoker Live landing page but said, “Additionally, we’re running workshops on responsible gambling and professional coaching sessions during the events, welcoming both new and experienced players to learn and enhance their skills.”

Livestreaming is a must for poker events and we wanted to know whether it will feature on the tour. 

Antonio gladly shared, "We’ll be live streaming the last three days of the main event. We’re also exploring ways to integrate sports betting into the streaming experience.” 

Along with the competitors, there will be poker experts at the tour events. We asked Antonio if and how players could interact with poker experts during the tour, to which he responded there will be live workshops and Q&A sessions with professional players, giving attendees the opportunity for one-on-one interactions and insights into improving their game.

Some people may just wish to go along and spectate or to meet some of their poker heroes. We asked Antonio if there were plans for community engagement outside of tournament play. 

He answered with an emphatic ‘Yes’ and added, “We encourage attendees to participate in social aspects, offering meet-and-greet opportunities with poker personalities and fans who want to connect with their favourite players.” 

Prizes are the main draw for any poker player. We were curious as to what they might be. 

Antonio shared that while they don’t publicly advertise guaranteed prize pools—believing they can be a trap—they are working on some surprises for players.

As a media outlet, we were curious as to how important media promotion was for the tour and if he would welcome collaborations with platforms like Casinos.com.  

“Absolutely!” said Antonio. “While we already have exclusive live coverage arranged, we’re open to various partnerships. We can promote Casinos.com during our events in return for your support across your channels.”

On the issue of responsible gambling, we asked him how he ensured these practices are adhered to. 

As one would expect, both PartyPoker and casinos have updated self-exclusion lists to prevent those individuals from participating. They also ensure a responsible gambling team is available at each event. 

We offered Antonio the scenario that a participating player might decide enough is enough and discontinue gambling. We asked what would happen in that instance.  

Antonio said, “If someone finds themselves overwhelmed, there is support available. The casino has a dedicated team for responsible gambling and can assist anyone needing to self-exclude.

“We're already looking to partner with influential figures in poker and sports, allocating a significant budget to support their involvement with our events.”  

The Party Poker Tour will be kicking off in London in April 2025. We’ve got two more cities lined up—Manchester and Glasgow—and two more to be confirmed later in the year. 

The tour stops and dates confirmed so far: 

• London, April 19–27, 2025; Aspers Casino, Westfield Stratford City, E20 1ET 
• Manchester, June 17–22, 2025 Manchester235 Casino, Great Northern Warehouse, 2 Watson St, M3 4LP 
• Glasgow, Aug. 12–17, 2025 Alea Casino, Unit C, Springfield Quay, Paisley Rd, Kinning Park, G5 8NP 

Each tour stop will have a £500 buy-in main event, along with a £150 buy-in mini main and several side events.