Tasmania bans poker as illegal game of chance, except in casinos
Tasmania was the first Australian state to legalize gambling, and like many other parts of the world, poker has become an important part of the gambling ecosystem. Now things have changed and the government has decided to ban the game everywhere except casinos.
The ban appears to be based on Tasmania's legalization of gambling. While organizations such as the Tasmanian Poker League and the Australian Poker League (APL) have been doing so without any issues for years, they are clearly no longer welcome.
The government, with help from Tasmania's gambling regulator, the Tasmanian Liquor and Gambling Commission (TLGC), has decided that poker games will only be illegal in clubs and pubs. As long as the casino organizes the tournament, this is not a problem.
Poker Club Must Give Up
Craig Abernethy, founder of the Australian Poker Schedule website, made . aware of the ban. Essentially it's about how clubs organize tournaments and competitions.
Tasmania does not allow cash buy-in poker games unless the host is a casino. It is the only state in Australia with such a ban. To get around this limitation, poker clubs and even social games in bars have adopted unique solutions. Players can purchase items as buy-ins instead of cash.
Poker is a game that everyone can play and compete in, whether senior, deaf, disabled, male, female, young or old, and it does not discriminate,” Abernethy said.
Once the TLGC figured out how the process worked, it decided to abolish the practice after receiving a tip from someone. Now three organized poker clubs operating in Tasmania and their thousands of players are out of luck.
Abernathy said the ban would affect "hundreds of people" currently employed by poker operators. Clubs and bars also make money from food and drink sales, and the TLGC's decision could have financial implications at the worst time of the year.
According to reports, the ban only applies to games that use an item purchase system as a buy-in. However, the Tasmanian Poker League announced on its Facebook page that it would be canceling the freeroll (an event with a free buy-in) due to the ban.
No bites Entain
TLGC believes the issue is not whether there was a cash buy-in, but rather some type of buy-in. State gambling regulations prohibit any non-casino poker games that require an admission fee to participate.
Not only will the decision affect hundreds of club and bar staff and thousands of players, it will also impact the revenue of global gaming operator Entain. The gaming company acquired the Premier League earlier this year.
In a statement, Entain said the APL hosted poker games in Tasmania last year for "25,000 patrons in pubs and clubs". It, along with other poker clubs and industry heavyweights such as Abernethy, is now trying to get the TLGC to clean up the mess it caused.
In Texas, some poker clubs have successfully managed to legally circumvent the state's gambling ban by using a unique system. Tournaments and matches are free to play, but club membership is required. There is no rake, and 100% of winnings go to the winner in a game with a $10,000 prize pool.
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Source: www.casino.org
