Poker is classified as a sport in Russia. The anti-gambling law, promoted by Vladimir Putin, came into force on July 1, much to the surprise and chagrin of many, who predicted that the economy would thwart the former president in his charge to outlaw gambling throughout the country.
The Kremlin has taken a hard line on gambling since drafting regulations to isolate, if not deport its availability to four remote regions back in 2006, when Mr Putin made public his blueprint to stamp out. Also over 350,000 people will be thrown into unemployment as a result of the prohibition at a time when the Russian economy and its unemployment levels.
The Kremlin’s announcement has drawn the iron curtain on that period, and on the hopes of those looking to reclassify poker’s gaming status elsewhere.
Poker has been ousted from its pedestal in Earth’s biggest country and is scrambling to regain a foothold in its biggest single market.
