Ukraine exempts poker from anti-gambling laws

[The Buzz]

Poker has once again been added to Ukraine's list of "Register of Recognized Sports" as a part of the Ministry of Youth and Sport, meaning anti-gambling legislation can no longer apply to the game. Poker was previously treated as a sport until 2010 when it was taken off the list by the Justice Minister, meaning it was considered gambling under the "On Prohibition of Gambling Business in Ukraine Act" of 2009, like blackjack or slot games.

From PokerNews.com

Furthermore, online operators relocated their servers to avoid prosecution, including iPoker’s exit in 2016. The iPoker Network – which was comprised of 29 skins including William Hill, Betfair and Ladbrokes – withdrawal came at a time of upheaval in Crimea, one of the country’s special gambling zones.

With poker once again being classified as a sport, the hope is regulation and new legislation for online poker could be forthcoming, though no timetable is set.

Read more here: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2018/...rthc-31920.htm

[Cash Bonus]

Finally, some good news for today. Poker is a great and fun game and a lot of people love playing it throughout the world, not only in Ukraine. It's also very addictive. It's also become a big hit on iPhones for me and my friends. It's been around for such a long time. Let's hope that this will all play out well for everyone involved.

[TheGooner]

While it's good news - the determination of governments is always amusing.

It's difficult to see the difference between Poker and Blackjack when determining a "sport".
Clearly both are card games mixed with skill, knowledge and chance.

[Vargoso]

Good news, let me share some more info here:

Ukraine legislation is like going back in time.

In 1993 the poker were legalized and even the poker tournaments were considered an sport in that time (we are talking like 25 years ago, far away from Moneymaker and the boom).

But in 2009 it changed again and poker become illegal - as usual a grey market was created in Ukraine and no news about regulation changes, or poker clubs facing problems with the law were posted.

Now, poker is a sport again and we hope it keeps this way, but the path is not easy, it still needs development and adoption, regulations, etc. Without those last ones, this news are only an statement