2009 EPT Moscow: Putin Takes His Chips and Goes Home

Well, I was on tap to go to Moscow to launch Season 6 of the EPT with a $10,000 tournament in the Russian Federation capital. Then yesterday the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy Vladimir Putin repealed the order of the Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport that gave poker the status of "sport" -- which is what had originally saved poker from the total crackdown on gambling initiated by the Russian Parliament Putin on July 1. As a result of this repeal poker is once again considered gambling in Russia. As of July 1 all gambling that doesn't take place in four specially designated zones (located in Siberia) is illegal.

Here's the Moscow Times article detailing the change.

I can't imagine that EPT Moscow will possibly go forward at this point. To be honest, I don't think it should. PokerStars should take a lesson learned from LAPT Mexico and pull the plug on the tournament now to avoid the shakedown that will invariably come later even if the tournament is allowed to proceed. It's not that I'm cynical. It's just that I've lived in Russia. Twice.

Don't forget the visa process either. There are so many complexities involved in securing a visa for entry into the Russian Federation that I have to imagine that it will be impossible to get through the process in light of the new developments. At the very least it will require some extra grease. It's unfair to ask the player to go through that process and many will probably balk. Hell, most will probably head for the hills just at the prospect of yesterday's news even if EPT says "Don't worry, it's ok! We got a special permit!" Who wants to be the person that risks being detained at point of entry for a "bad" visa? I've been through *that* too. Not. Pretty.

PokerStars can't be faulted here. With Mexico they were taking a big risk by trying to inject poker into a country where it was illegal, under the guise of a special permit. In Russia forces had been working within the country for years to elevate poker above the generic "gambling" tag -- and had seemingly been successful. Poker had been granted the status of a legitimate game by the government. But in Vladimir Putin's Russia, anything can be taken away on a whim. Ask Mikhail Khodorovsky if you doubt me.