In international poker news Russia announced a move forward in the worldwide fight to make poker recognized as a sport and not gambling. They completely re-categorized poker as a sport. This move is one more step in the right direction for all poker players worldwide. Russian poker players and fans of the game are thrilled by the news and cant wait for the benefits this will bring all poker players.
A recent decision by Russian Federation's 'Federal Agency of Physical Culture and Sports' has made a clear paved path for reguvinating the poker boom. For those of you that don’t remember back in October Russian President Vladimir Putin's bill proposed to concentrate Russia's gambling industry into 4 regional gaming colonies by 2009, ban Internet gambling, and re-impose state regulation over live gambling including poker. The Russian agency's decision is expected to exempt poker from the provisions of the 4 'gambling zones' being created across Russia right now.
Dmirty Lesnoy, current president of the Sports Federation of Russia (organization to promote poker in Russia) testified during the commission’s hearings. Also pinpointed his focus on the game characteristics like skill, training, math, patients and pure determination. The overall goals of the Lesnoy’s federation hope to continue in the promotions of the game along with the creation of ethical norms and standards, organization of tournament and player rating of some sort or another. The organizing of poker school in Russia is one of his current goals to teach the game to growing young talents.
We don’t know the overall effect this decision will have across the world. But one thing you can be certain of is that other nations are watching and listening. So we can all but hope that this trend of re-categorizing poker as a sport will gain momentum and continue across the globe to all nations in year to come.
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