button in SafariKing's Resort CEO Warns Poker Must Adapt to the 'Dopamine Generation'
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For years, the formula for running a poker festival seemed pretty straightforward. Put up a big guarantee, spread the word, and trust that players would show up.
Federico Brunato believes that approach no longer works on its own.
The King's Resort CEO says too many operators still think success begins and ends with the size of a prize pool, when today's players are looking for something much broader. In an age dominated by social media, endless scrolling, and instant entertainment, Brunato believes poker has had to evolve alongside the people who play it.
"I believe many operators don't fully understand what players are really looking for and often think it's just about setting a guarantee and hoping the tournament will hit it," said Brunato. "That's the biggest shift from the past, when communities were built around the experience, not the guarantees."
The Attention Economy Has Reached Poker
"The world is changing fast and poker is changing with it,"
According to Brunato, modern players arrive at the tables with different expectations than they did a decade ago.
The challenge for operators is understanding that the competition isn't just other poker tours anymore. It's every form of entertainment competing for a player's time and attention.
"I think players are expecting a faster and more intense experience," Brunato said. "Overall, they're used to constant dopamine stimuli all around them, and as is often the case, they look for the same kind of experience at the poker table."
That shift has forced operators to think beyond guarantees and prize pools. Brunato believes innovation has become one of the most important tools available.
"It's about constantly trying to innovate, whether it's adjusting starting stacks, game variants, level durations, or introducing new formats," he said. "The game is evolving and speeding up, just like the world around us, as we see with Reels and endless scrolling on social media."
A Poker Boom, But With a Warning
The comments come at a time when live poker appears to be thriving across Europe. Major festivals continue to post strong numbers, guarantees are growing, and venues are attracting larger fields than they did ten years ago.
"Greed can sometimes cloud judgment,"
Brunato welcomes that growth, but he also sees potential pitfalls if operators become too aggressive while the market is strong.
"I believe live poker is a game with a unique appeal, and its growth is generally steady, but just like in the stock market, there are periods of bear markets and bull markets," he said.
While Brunato believes poker is currently enjoying one of those bullish periods, he worries the industry could repeat mistakes made during previous booms.
"We're experiencing a more positive bull phase, but a lot will depend on how operators make use of this momentum," he said. "There is a bit of concern that we might repeat a familiar story from the past, when many new players enter the market and everyone tries to run as many events as possible in the shortest time."
He added: "Overall, we welcome every event that brings new players into the industry, but greed can sometimes cloud judgment, and the same mistakes tend to repeat themselves."
Why Europe Is Moving Faster
Despite those concerns, Brunato remains optimistic about where the game is heading. One reason is his belief that European poker has become increasingly willing to experiment, helping operators react more quickly to changing trends and player demands.
"I think European poker is still actively searching for new trends and innovations," he said. "U.S. poker has been deeply rooted for decades, it's harder to move away from established processes, formats and habits."
For Brunato, adaptation is no longer optional. The players are changing, the way people consume entertainment is changing, and poker has little choice but to keep pace.
"The world is changing fast and poker is changing with it," he said. "It's important to accept that and, ideally, anticipate it."
