Gambling Ban Now Covers Poker in Russia

[BingoT]

Gambling Ban Now Covers Poker in Russia

MOSCOW — When Russia carried out sweeping restrictions on gambling this month, closing thousands of casinos and slots parlors, their owners grasped at a small loophole. Poker was legally classified as a sport, giving some the prospect of curbing their losses by becoming private poker clubs.

This week, though, the Kremlin essentially said not so fast.

Russian officials announced that an error was made in 2007 when poker was added to the list of official sports. As a result, poker clubs will also be illegal under the antigambling law.

By MARIANNA TISHCHENKO
The Story

[Luck3]

There are rumors that Russian government wants to issue an edict for Internet providers to block access to gambling sites.

[jetset]

Given the sweeping and draconian nature of the Russian (and for that matter Ukrainian) gambling bans, and the dictatorial nature of the government, that would not surprise me.

But would it really work? The Kentucky, Italian and Australian experiences suggest this is not a solution, but governments persist in considering it without regard to the freedom of the Internet or the practicalities of effective implementation.