Poker Players Lose Money
September 13, 2009
If you want to play poker just be sure that you don't do it in Denmark.
The country has a strange rule that says that online poker playing is legal
as long as you don't actually do it. So, the law doesn't actually say that,
but if you play online poker you will find yourself before magistrate before
you know it.
Prosecutors say that poker is legal, as long as you don't make your living
at it. A 35-year-old Denmark native found this out the hard way. He made
roughly $28,000 playing poker online, but was unable to show that he had any
other form of employment, and therefore was forced to turn over all of his
winnings to the country of Denmark.
They said that the man was unemployed and therefore should not have been
playing poker. It doesn't matter whether or not your skills lie in playing
poker, you have to show another form of employment in order to keep your
winnings. Poker players in Denmark are understandably upset by this ruling.
This is the second case that the government has prosecuted in relation to
online poker playing. Another man was arrested for setting up the poker
games. His conviction, however, was overturned. But the Supreme Court says
that it is against the law to set up poker tournaments, so really, his
conviction should not have been overturned. Meanwhile, playing poker is
legal, but the other gentleman's conviction was not overturned because he
was actually playing it. Confused? So are we.
