The regulation of internet poker has been a notable issue of late in a number of countries around the globe, but as much as progress has been made in some places – such as Nevada and Delaware in the United States – it has also given rise to a trend that has left many poker players frustrated to say the least.
That is, the failure by government officials in many states and countries around the globe to differentiate between poker and other forms of gaming. Almost without fail, poker and casino gaming are mentioned in the same breath. Politicians the world over go out of their way to avoid any discussion on the obvious differences between these gaming types.
Nick Xenophon is Australia’s most prominent anti-gambling campaigner
And their stance isn’t helped by an often sympathetic mass media who also show their naivety when they refer to online poker sites such as PokerStars and Full Tilt as “online casino sites”.
Why is this a problem? Because there are some distinct differences between casino games and poker – and that’s without even getting into the whole debate over whether or not poker is a game of skill (which anyone who has played the game will tell you it clearly is).
So let’s look at the one difference that matters: when you play any casino game, be it baccarat, blackjack, roulette or craps, you are playing against the house. But when you play poker, you are playing against the other players. Although the house takes a small cut by the way of rake from each hand, you are never playing against the house.
Despite this, authorities have typically struggled to grasp this most basic of concepts. In fact, in a recent discussion on the topic of online poker, Australian Senator Nick Xenophon – the country’s most prominent opponent of all forms of gambling – admitted poker was a game of skill yet added “in the online format, though, the house always wins, does it not?” As noted above, Nick, no. No it doesn’t.
But these are the battles we face. Regulation of online gaming is not a one size fits all solution. It’s time some of those who should know better awoke to this realization too.
