NORWEGIAN POKER CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN IRELAND

03/26/2012 :  NORWEGIAN POKER CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN IRELAND
 
Illegal in home country so tournament held offshore
 
Dublin welcomed over 1000 Norwegian poker players over the past weekend arriving in the Irish town for the week-long Norwegian Poker Championships.
 
The Championships previously held in England, Latvia and Sweden, are open exclusively to Norwegian poker players, and held offshore as Norwegian law makes it illegal to host or play poker tournaments in Norway.
 
Frode Fagerli of the Norwegian Championship organisers team said: “Under gaming laws in Norway if you pay to participate and there are prizes and a degree of luck or chance involved, it is a lottery. You’re only really allowed to bet on the national games like the lottery, and then horse races, soccer games and things like that.”
 
While Norway is clear on what it deems illegal, Irish law and the lack of a licencing system may not be the best alternative for the Championships as a future venue as Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter makes noises about a comprehensive revision of State gambling laws.