Poker Israel
Poker in Israel may soon become legal once again after a politician recently introduced a new bill that would see the game finally classified as a sport. How to play at Israeli poker rooms, detailed review of all easter n european poker sites, safe cashier services, poker hand converters, money exchanges and solutions for grinders by Worldpokerdeals.com.
Poker tournaments will become legal for the first time in Israel if a bill proposed by Likud MK Sharren Haskel is passed into law.Currently, poker is not permitted, because in the past it was considered gambling. Poker players were subject to a year in prison and organizers of poker tournaments to three.But the Supreme Court recently ruled that poker is a game of skill, rather than luck, and therefore should be permitted. Haskel’s bill is intended to legislate the ruling.“The fact that the players go to contests and tournaments year after year strengthens the conclusion that it is not a game of luck,” Supreme Court Judge Neal Hendel wrote.The bill would regulate the Israeli Poker Players Association and empower it to organize national and international tournaments. The Finance Ministry would have overall control over poker in Israel and would tax earnings.Israelis have enjoyed success over the years in the world’s top poker tournaments. The highest ranked Israeli poker player is Timur Margolin of Ramle, with earnings of $1,742,590, including more than $150,000 at the latest World Series of Poker.The top Jewish poker player in the world is thought to be Erik Seidel of Las Vegas, whose earnings top $34,500,000 and who has been inducted into the poker hall of fame.“Israeli sportsmen bring respect and pride to the state in international competitions,” Haskel said. “Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that poker players are sportsmen and not gamblers, they should be permitted to practice on their home turf.”Well, it actually isn’t legal to play online poker in Israel. Now some sites might do it illegally, but the handshake agreement is actually different than what you think. Online Poker in Israel Israeli courts have ruled in the past that poker is a casino game and, therefore, it is prohibited to take place within the country’s borders. In this way, it is still not possible to find poker rooms across Israel, only in the Casino Cruises that operate near the port cities when in international waters.
Poker is illegal in Israel. Those caught playing in a poker game face up to a year in prison for the first offense, and those caught organizing a game could be locked up for as many as three.
A new bill introduced by Likud party member Sharren Haskel, however, is looking to change that.
The bill follows a recent ruling by Israel Supreme Court Judge Neal Hendel, who stated in his decision that poker was a game of skill.
“The fact that the players go to contests and tournaments year after year strengthens the conclusion that it is not a game of luck,” he wrote.
Poker Israel Online
If considered by the Knesset, the bill would allow the Israeli Poker Players Association to organize poker games, and authorize the Finance Ministry to regulate taxes.
There are no casinos in Israel, and most forms of gambling are outlawed, although there is state-run lottery and sports betting. In 2015, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu proposed the idea of authorizing a casino in the city of Eliat, which is home to a port that already launches gambling cruises into international waters.
Amir Lehavot is the most successful poker pro, in terms of winnings, to come out of Israel. The Miami Beach resident won a WSOP bracelet in 2011, and made the final table of the main event in 2013. He now has more than $5.7 million in career live tournament earnings.
Other notable Israeli poker pros include Rafi Amit, Zvi Stern, Timur Margolin, and Asi Moshe. Israel has 12 WSOP bracelet wins in total, which is good for eighth among all countries.