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Criminal Court of Toulouse: Poker considered as a game of skill
The accused in court, persons in charge of an establishment in the city of Toulouse, France, supposedly to be a gambling house, that offered especially poker games were released. Indeed, the Criminal Court of this town ruled on that case on last Wednesday, July 20, 2011. Thus, Jean-Pierre Gleizes, manager of "Les Coulisses" and "St. Tropez" and his friends are now free. Before ruling on this case, the jury would have heard a multitude of explanations. Effectively, the center of the debate was centered around the Article 1 of the Act of July 12, 1983 which states that "any participation of the public in the managing of a gambling house is punishable by three years' imprisonment and € 90,000 fine."
The question was therefore whether the poker games organized by the prosecuted establishment is considered as a game of chance or a game of skill. The verdict of the Court was very clear in stating that the skill game is more important than gambling in poker. Moreover, this court decision was mainly motivated by the persuasive explanation of stakeholders consisting of a mathematics professor, a professional poker player and a bridge player. If this new ruling will certainly serve as case law in other similar cases, it will also bring a new discussion around the question on the taxation of all poker players.
Source: Oliver JOHNSON
Monday, 01 August 2011
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