The Triton London 2020 festival will not take place after an official cancellation was made by the company. The London Leg was scheduled from July 29 to August 13, 2020 but had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is the latest major international poker event to be cancelled amid ongoing restrictions to curb COVID-19. The latest announcement means players and fans of the world’s richest poker tournament will have to wait until 2021 to take part in nosebleed action.
Triton Prioritizes Health and Safety
In a presser posted on its website, Triton Poker said they wanted to protect their customers and staff as COVID-19 still poses a threat to everyone’s health and safety. Furthermore, they wanted to make sure their selected venues and locations are deemed safe before they can host tournaments.
Earlier, Triton also cancelled its Montenegro stop which was supposed to take place on May 8-22 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Back in February, it was also forced to drop the scheduled Jeju leg as the virus began to wreak havoc across the world.
Triton Poker is the brainchild of Malaysian businessmen Paul Phua and Richard Yong, both of whom also love poker. The tournament was initially designed as an exclusive event for the wealthy business people and prominent high-stakes poker pros around the world, with a charitable element.
Funds raised from Triton tournaments go towards various charities, including The Red Cross, Raising for Effective Giving, and Project Pink. The events usually take place at some of the world’s most luxurious venues.
Last year, the series hosted its inaugural event in London, headlined by a huge charity tournament called The Triton Million – A Helping Hand for Charity which featured a massive buy-in of £1,050,000 ($1,305,000), making it the biggest buy-in event in poker history.
The historic event was taken down by poker-playing Chinese businessman Aaron Zang after a heads-up deal against American poker pro Bryn Kenney. Though finishing as runner-up, Kenney went home with the biggest prize money of £16,890,509. Zang as the champion won £13,779,491.
This year’s London festival would have seen a super high-stakes charity showdown taking place, but unfortunately plans have been shattered by the current pandemic.
UK Casinos Remain Closed
The cancellation of the final leg of the 2020 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series came as a result of the extended closure of casinos in the UK. Unlike other countries in Europe, the UK has yet to give casino operators the green light to resume their operations. This is despite bingo halls, betting ships, pubs, gyms, swimming pools, and other entertainment establishments being recently allowed to reopen in the country.
Several casinos across Europe, including the Casino San Remo in Italy, Casino Barcelona, Atlantic Casino and Grand Casino in Spain, King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, Casino Monte Carlo, Casino de Deauville and Casino Barriere in France, as well as casino venues in the Polish cities of Warsaw, Katowice, and Krakow have begun accepting customers since last month.
The UK has a lower COVID-19 infection rate than that of Spain and Italy. Cases have also consistently dropped in the country since May, with mortality rate sitting at just 0.1%. The government’s decision to prolong the closure of casino establishments even when several other industries are starting to get back on their knees has puzzled casino operators, prompting the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) to urge officials to reconsider their stance.
With casinos not being allowed to operate, the Exchequer is losing £5 million ($6.2 million) each week, significant revenue which could have helped the country in its bid to restart the economy. The Chief Executive of the BGC Michael Dugher has called on the government to approve the reopening of casinos as quickly as possible and not leave it out on the cold.
Many had hoped the casino industry would reopen along with the other business sectors earlier this month, but to their disappointment, the government has ordered casino venues to remain closed. It remains unclear when they can finally being accepting customers.