Poker News Round-up: 18/03/09

Poker News Round-Up: 12/03/09

Read the very latest news in poker with the 32Red Poker Blog every week. The headlines are:

Sandra Naujoks wins the EPT Dortmund
France move closer to legalising online gambling
Israeli police step in to ban poker championships
WPT explores virgin poker territories

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Sandra Naujoks wins the EPT Dortmund 
German players flocked to the recent European Poker Tour in Dortmund.  Almost half of the field were German and so it was with little surprise that a local player took the spoils.  Sandra Naujoks eventually walked away €917,000 richer, putting her name in the history books in the process as only the second woman to win an EPT title.

France move closer to legalising online gambling
Last week, French Budget Minister Eric Woerth unveiled a new program to allow online operators to bid for French gaming licenses for sports betting, online casino and online poker.  Following pressure from the European Commission, France is now a step closer to opening up their state controlled online gaming market. 

Woerth confirmed the program will levy a tax of 2% on online poker and 7.5% on online sports betting.  Should the changes be approved by French authorities it is expected they will come into effect in early 2010.

Israeli police step in to ban poker championships
While France begins the process of legalising the game we love, things have taken a step backwards in Israel.  The IPA (Israeli Poker Association) recently had their national championships banned by police in Tel Aviv.  Although the IPA have apparently been following strict guidelines in regards to poker tournaments, the police were convinced that poker does not fall into the “game of chance” group of games and quickly banned the IPA event.

The IPA are now appealing against the decision and have brought in a professor of mathematics to prove their case to the High Court in Tel Aviv.

WPT explores virgin poker territories
The World Poker Tour has taken a back step to the likes of the WSOP and the EPT in recent years.  The well publicised financial difficulties the company have experienced may be, in part, the reason why the WPT has lost some prestige outside of the United States. 

Things may soon be on the up for the WPT, though.  Last week they announced new stops on the tour in Venice and Marrakech.  Italy is a recognised “poker country” and a stop in Venice would seem attractive to the majority of big tournament players.  Marrakech, in Morocco, is unproven ground and it will be fascinating to see just how popular events in that country, a popular holiday destination with Europeans, are.