China To Ban Play Money Online Poker Apps In Surprise Move: ReportDecision From Beijing Could Hurt Poker In The Region At Large |
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Did China just toss poker into the muck?
Per a report from Inside Asian Gaming, which cited local media reports, the country of nearly 1.4 billion people plans to ban free-play online poker platforms. Chinese officials reportedly said that poker will no longer be recognized as a “competitive sport.”
According to the local media reports, Beijing will force all apps offering any form of “social” Texas hold’em poker to cease operations in the country by June 1. In addition, social media platforms will be barred from promoting play-money poker.
Hong Kong Poker Players Association managing director Stephen Lai told the South China Morning Post that the move will have a negative impact on poker in the region at large.
“[Poker] was growing very fast, now it is going to be more difficult for operators in Asia to organise poker events because Chinese players make up over half of the field,” he said. “If you can’t promote those events on social media, Chinese players won’t know they are on so they won’t go…It is a shame that the government won’t allow people talking about the game. We have been happy that China has been allowing social gaming, not for money, so that people from China have a chance to practice and travel around Asia and beyond to play poker, where it is legal."
Lai added that "poker has gone back to square one in China.”
The Chinese gaming company Ourgame, which bought the World Poker Tour several years ago, reportedly put out a statement saying that it will comply with the new rules pertaining to its poker offerings in the country.
Casino games are illegal in mainland China, but gambling is allowed in Macau, a special administrative region. Macau’s gambling exclusivity helped make it the world’s largest casino market in recent years. Macau casinos first began dealing poker a little over a decade ago.
About three years ago, Chinese officials raided a PokerStars live poker tournament, which demonstrated Beijing’s stance against poker play on the mainland.
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