IRISH SNAFU
23 March 2007
Law enforcement in Ireland needs to brush up on
their legal powers
This week's Northern Ireland Poker Championships were
ruined by the questionable actions of the local Garda
(police) who closed the event down despite its apparent
legality.
Barely an hour from the start of the event, which
attracted players from UK and Europe in addition to
domestic talent, the local cops threatened the hotel
venue with prosecution and loss of license if the
tournament went ahead. The organisers tried for a
compromise despite their conviction that they were
completely legal, offering to donate profits to charity,
but the police would not be moved and the event
collapsed.... all without anyone seeming to know why.
The venue had already been moved to the City North Hotel
- just outside of Dublin and a short drive from the site
of the 2007 Irish Open set for April 5-9 - to avoid any
uncertainties surrounding the legal situation for poker
in the North. And poker tournaments with a one-off
registration fee are supposed to be legal in Ireland.
The organisers returned the GBP 1 000 entry fee to the
disappointed players, together with an additional GBP
100 as the projected overlay on the prizepool.
For players that had travelled to reach the venue, and
those who qualified online for it at sites like Betfair
Poker and Pacific Poker, it was a bitter pill to
swallow, particularly for no apparent reason.
Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa
More news here.
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