| Police in Rome, Italy, last weekend, raided a | | | | intervention. According to italian law, |
| poker tournament last and confiscated all | | | | "Those who profit, directly or indirectly, |
| objects used in the the game, including 12 | | | | from organizing gambling in facilities that |
| poker tables,all the chips and cards. The | | | | they are responsible for, should be punished |
| game was running for less than an hour before | | | | for gambling promotion". That's mean also |
| the local "cops" s came. Over 100 players | | | | that if you put a promotional banner of an |
| registered for the tournament. "But it's a | | | | online casino on your internet site you |
| legal way for playing" said A.F., the | | | | committe a crime. The director of the club |
| director of the club and organizer of the | | | | was shocked by the police action. Said that, |
| tournment. Permitted from the italian law | | | | "did not believe anything illegal had taken |
| (FINANZIARIA 2007). The prize pool was around | | | | place in his club, the only sum he earned was |
| the 3.000 Euro, this looked like being a | | | | the rent of the club by a bridge and poker |
| highly successful event for organiser, but | | | | club...obout 220 Euro." But is it legal to |
| the prize pool was not high ( that's shoud | | | | collect fee when people play bingo or bridge |
| mean in Italy: NO GAMBLOING). However, within | | | | in Italy? But is it legal if you pay a win of |
| an hour of the game starting the italian | | | | a poker tournment? But is it legal to |
| police had other ideas, and closed the | | | | organize a poker tournment in Italy? "If |
| tournment. Gambling not in one of the only 4 | | | | collecting fee is legal when people play |
| Italian Casinos (Casino di Campione,Casino di | | | | Bingo, it should be legal to collect the same |
| Saint Vincent, Casino di Venezia and Casino | | | | fees for poker players, it's unfair that |
| di Sanremo)is illegal in Italy and this | | | | playing for money is only illegal when |
| appears to be the basis of the police | | | | playing poker". |