Over the last year we have listened to the rumours, speculation, and hearsay that preceded the introduction of the new gambling act as we tried to predict how these changes would affect our pubs. For once, most of the rumours turned out to be fairly close to the mark, and there was not really anything in the act concerning pub poker that was unexpected. What is more interesting and also unknown at this point is how stringently the new act is going to be enforced.
Although on the surface the new act appears to have provided a more liberal setting for pubs wishing to host poker nights, the reality may be slightly different. Illegal poker games in pubs have been going on for many years, and poker could well have been the catalyst for the creation of that great British institution, otherwise known as the public house. Players used to sit outside in the rain, and gradually the pubs were built around them to shelter them from the elements and provide refreshment to those players who had been chasing their losses for days at a time. OK, maybe I am rewriting history here, but the point is that pub poker has been around for many years.
Due to the law change, many venues now seem to believe that their games have become semi-legitimate. In actual fact, the opposite could well be the case. The new gambling act enables pubs to offer small-stakes games with a limit of £5 per person for each game, with a premises-based prize pool limit of £100 a day. This does indeed constitute a loosening of the laws for venues that up until Sept. 1 did not provide cash poker on their premises. However, the new law also means the Gambling Commission has become one of the most powerful organisations in the country, with far-reaching powers to punish publicans who flaunt the new regulations.
Whether or not the change in legislation is going to affect pubs in any meaningful way remains to be seen. At the moment, the Gambling Commission appears to be playing a waiting game, and we can speculate that it is holding off taking any action until Gordon Brown has clarified his position on the interpretation of the new gambling act. It will be very interesting to see what "the powers that be" decide. Will they turn a blind eye to venues that operate well-run events, albeit outside the law, or are they going to try to enforce the letter of the law by making examples of pubs that break the rules.
Many public houses have now started advertising poker events that contravene the current legislation, and this will make it harder for the authorities to ignore. It would seem that some publicans are unclear on what the law actually permits, and this is understandable, as having a law degree seems to be a requirement for understanding the terminology used in the Gambling Act 2005.
In our view, cash poker in pubs is not necessarily a good thing. We think that playing poker for money is best kept in casinos or regulated poker clubs. We have seen firsthand that there is a huge demand for small-stakes poker in the UK, and we believe that casinos and poker clubs should be the ones to step in to cover this gap in the market.
The reason for this is because it is much easier to run a well-regulated game of poker in a casino or cardroom, where there is a tournament host present and measures are in place to prevent foul play. The majority of publicans are not going to have experience in running poker games, and in many establishments the players will be left to run themselves. This causes
problems if there are any disagreements over money or the rules. It takes only a few nasty incidents and suddenly poker is all over the front pages for the wrong reasons. Poker players will not be swayed by sensationalist headlines such as "British Pubs or Gambling Dens?" but people who are not familiar with the poker community will be influenced by these kinds of stories. I have no idea how many politicians play poker, but I can hazard a guess that plenty of them will see the opportunity to score some points if public opinion begins to turn against this great game.
We are not saying that we completely oppose cash games in pubs, rather that it would be better if more facilities were provided in purpose-run venues, to enable players to partake of the game of their choice in a safe environment. Casinos need to play their part in this by providing the kind of setting that poker players are going to appreciate. Poker players do not want casinos offering poor-quality poker games just as a hook to get people onto the gaming floor. The venues that offer well thought out tournaments and cash games are the ones that are going to reap the most benefits of the current UK poker boom.
Whatever happens, we are going to continue to provide Poker in the Pub as a free-to-play league. We always have focused on the entertainment factor and steered well clear of gambling in pubs, which has paid dividends in the number of new players we have seen taking up the game. The league is currently growing at an astonishing rate, which has seen venue numbers increase by 50 percent in the last few months. We expect this to continue as our team of sales executives endeavours to bring poker to the masses. With new sponsors coming on board and player numbers going through the roof, the only thing that is holding us back is the lack of agents available to run nights. You would think that people would be queuing up to be paid £50 to play poker for a few hours.
The next regional finals for Poker in the Pub will have taken place by the time this issue is printed. These events are always a prominent feature in our members' diaries, and we have made some welcome changes this time around. All the finals are taking place in Stanley Casinos in Nottingham, Glasgow, Stoke, Reading, and Torquay, with a prize pool of £5,000. Once again the emphasis is on making sure that everyone has a good day out, and I am confident that the players will ensure that we see some good-quality poker. This statement is borne out by the excellent showing of our regional winners at the
Golden Sands Poker Festival, which I discussed in the last issue.
Whatever Gordon Brown's government decides in relation to the implementation of the new gambling act, it is going to be an interesting few months for those involved in pub poker, and an exciting time for everyone involved in Poker in the Pub.
If you would like some additional information on the league, please visit the website at www.pokerinthepub.com.
