Danish Court Decides Poker is a Game of Skill

On July 17, 2007, a municipal court located in the suburb of Lyngby, Denmark decided that poker requires both luck and skill to win and is therefore a legitimate game.

The decision of the district court acquitted the Head of the Danish Poker Association, Frederik Horstrup, of charges of organizing prohibited gaming tournaments. Horstrup has been sued by hotel and restaurant trade organization, Horesta, on behalf of Denmark's land-based casinos.

The decision is in direct opposition of the decision made by the Justice Ministry's legal affair committee last year, which decided that poker is illegal and unconstitutional. Horstrup's lawyer, Henrik Hoffman, said that the court's ruling legalizes poker, which has become really popular over the years.

He added that poker has become a sport of the masses. There are about 200,000 to 300,000 Danes that play poker at least once a week and 500,000 who play the game regularly. According to Danish law, illegal gambling refers to games or tournaments where the event organizers attempt to have some sort of personal and monetary game.

Hoffman commented that the game of poker is about wagering, playing smart and getting your opponents to think that you have a different card than you actually hold. Hoffman said that you can win at poker games by being good enough to hide your technique even though you have a bad card hand.

Erik Jensen, the spokesperson for Horesta, said that they are severely disappointed with the court's decision. Jensen said that any game a person plays for money, the risk of getting addicted to the game increases.

Studies have shown that about 85,000 Danes have the potential to become gambling addicts, so it is important to take the necessary steps to protect them. The prosecutors have 14 days to decide whether or not they will appeal the court's decision.

August 05, 2007
Michael Orwell