An Eternal Debate for Online Casinos: 2
Specifically, the Finance Ministry is not so easy to budge on the issue and
would not elaborate on their position on classification of poker as a sport at
this time. Land poker gambling outside of the land casinos is illegal if real
currency is used in the game and a spokesperson for the Ministry, Zuzana
Chocholová would only assert that position when questioned about the new
movement by the Czech Association of Poker Clubs to legalize land and online
casino poker gambling as a sport rather than a game of chance.
Chocholová went on though to express some doubts that the push for new
classification of the game would pass through the government. Tops on the list
of reasons is the fact that Czech citizens have only recently begun to truly
embrace poker gambling at the land and online casinos. The game is very new to
the country and is primarily used as a form of recreation by Czech citizens.
Chocholová comments of the Association’s efforts,
“The association is trying to exempt poker tournaments from the lottery
legislation. These poker tournaments are the phenomenon of the past two years,
and [permission is given] just for tournaments in casinos.”
She is skeptical that this ruling will change even with the revamping of the
country’s gambling laws. The Prague Post newspaper covered the issue and even
went on to opine about the likelihood of reclassification as well as provide
some specific’s about the current state of land and online casino poker gambling
in the country. The paper noted, "While there are a few professional players
living in the Czech Republic, most see it simply as recreation and a way to
escape the monotony of their working lives.” This hints at the fact that
classification as a sport – implying a game that involves individuals honing
their skills and attaining professional level proficiency, is a long way off.
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