Source: Kansspelcommissie (Belgium)
Belgium’s College of Prosecutors General says private poker games for money fall within activities that are not prioritised for prosecution if specified conditions are met. Games must be occasional and non-commercial, with no advertising or credit, and stakes capped at €10 per player per day.
The conditions define when private poker games for money are not prioritised for prosecution.
The day’s most important stories, free. One email a day.
Ireland’s national financial-crime risk assessment rated online bookmakers and private members’ clubs as significant money-laundering risks, while most gambling activities were assessed as low risk. The assessment cited remote customer checks, payment methods and white-label arrangements among concerns for online betting.
Colombia's Coljuegos and the Fiscalía General de la Nación carried out an operation against an allegedly illegal poker tournament in Barranquilla, the regulator said. Officials removed 1,869 items used in poker betting, including chips, cards, tables and invoices. Coljuegos president Marco Emilio Hincapié said poker is a game of chance under Law 643 of 2001 and requires authorisation.
Italian State Police and municipal police seized a private club in Santa Maria degli Angeli, Assisi, and reported 40 people to prosecutors over alleged illegal poker activity. The group included players, the club’s owner and 10 people linked to the sports association said to have organised the games; authorities also cited safety shortcomings and missing permits.
Federal authorities charged more than 30 people in two investigations spanning 11 US states, alleging schemes involving NBA betting and rigged poker games. Prosecutors say people with access to team information shared details used to place wagers; the separate poker case alleges games were manipulated. The charges include allegations against current and former NBA personnel, including Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones.
Thailand’s Interior Ministry order signed on 30 July permits poker tournaments under controlled conditions, a day before an international event took place. Bhumjaithai MP Korrawee Prissananantakul questioned the timing, while Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said the measure classifies poker as a sport and does not cover cash games; sanctioned events require a formal Poker Sports Association.