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With the popularity of poker on the raise so are the amount of illegal live poker games and the British government is asking their law enforcement to have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to shutting these games down.
Legislation nearly 40 years old still dictates the rules when it comes to deciding what poker games are legal and what games are not. A poker game can not be used to bait patrons to a pub and the stakes and prizes must be kept at a low level.
"Poker has become increasingly popular in the last 12 months and a number of people are seeking to cash in on the demand to play," explained Gambling Commission Director of Operations Phill Brear. "The law is complex, but we have two simple messages: First, under the existing law many of these games are illegal or are likely to lead to illegal games being played. Secondly, illegal poker games can lead to people being cheated into losing very substantial sums of money, and we are concerned that people will be exploited if games are not properly supervised."
The Commission hopes by enforcing the law it will encourage poker game hosts to understand their responsibilities and insure that poker games only happen in designated poker rooms.
"Poker is a great game, but properly regulated operators such as casinos employ trained and licensed staff as dealers and supervisors, they use CCTV to monitor play, they offer protections to players, and they are closely monitored and supervised by the Gambling Commission. Poker in pubs and similar arrangements offer none of these safeguards and we will work with the authorities to clamp down on illegal games," said Phill Brear. "Our overarching objectives are to keep crime out of gambling, protect players and make sure that the games are run fairly and openly. The Gambling Commission has significant powers at its disposal to crack down on those breaking the law, and we won't hesitate to use those powers."
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