Better Times Soon for Danish Poker?
Pending legislation hopefully will soon end tournament raids
Danish land poker is often very contentious because no definitive ruling has been issued about whether poker is a game of chance or a game of skill. This non-resolution has resulted in a state of suspended animation where the courts themselves cannot decide on one thing or the other. Compound that with frequent police raids on on-going poker tournaments and you have a complete recipe for disaster.
But all of that could end soon, according to the latest Danish media reports.
The government has created a task specifically ordered to look into the various poker concerns with the aim of passing some legislative amendments to settle these issues once and for all. The Danish Poker Committee is conducting public hearings but will be able to make non-binding resolutions and recommendations that the state can then consider at its discretion.
Foremost among the proposals is to make land-based poker tournaments legal but subject to its strict regulations. This is a concession to the perceived growing popularity of poker in the nation today. Currently, poker tournaments are allowed only within state-controlled online casinos.
Unfortunately enough, Internet or on-line poker was not specifically made a part of the on-going discussions in the committee. Members claim it was not part of their mandate and anyway, the issue of poker regulation properly belongs to the Ministry of Taxation. The committee is saying it is only mandated to look into public poker games where the participants are physically present.
A public consultation process will help in the debate and drafting of legislative proposals and a legal advisor, Morten Ronde, claims it can start soon but may take weeks to finish its tasks.