The Knesset’s Education, Culture and Sports Committee will discuss today (Tuesday) the question of whether to make poker a legal sport in Israel, and from now on allow official tournaments of the popular card game to be held in Israel.
The discussion is initiated by the committee’s chairman, MK Sharan Hashakel (New Hope), who even submitted a private bill on the subject with the aim of recognizing poker as a competitive sport, under an orderly set of rules and under a license granted by the state.
Today, poker is defined in Israel as an illegal bet, and the mind intends to bring about the recognition of poker as a sport that depends on the skills of the participants and not as a game of chance or gambling. The bill was submitted by MK Hashakel back in the 20th Knesset, but due to its dissolution, the proposal was not promoted and is now being raised again.
“Poker has become an illegal gambling game in Israel, but poker is a game that requires skills and does not rely solely on luck. In many countries in the Western world, tournaments of the game are held just like chess and other thinking games,” MK Hashek explained the initiative.
She said: “Israeli players who compete in tournaments around the world are required to pay income tax on half of the winning amount, while in the country of play it is illegal. Therefore, there is a dissonance that will be discussed in the committee.
Behind the initiative to regulate poker in legislation is the Israeli Poker Association, headed by Stas Tishkevich, who also conducted a mass fundraising campaign in the past and in which about NIS 250,000 was donated to the campaign. The members of the association claim that on the one hand, this is the most popular game in the country. Every evening, countless friendly games are held in private homes and throughout the network. That
Israeli players travel en masse to the largest poker rounds in the world – and some are also sweeping excellent achievements. On the other hand, the game is still considered by the state as a game that is essentially luck – and therefore it is illegal, in contrast to most Western countries that have granted it legal status.
In addition to Tishkevitz, the general manager of the Poker Association, Shimon Yaffe, the Advocate General of the Israel Poker Players Association, Adv. Itamar Glazer, active poker players, and representatives of the Sports Betting Council and various government ministries will also participate in today’s discussion. At the end of the hearing, it will become clear whether the poker players in Israel “went a crazy card,” or whether the legislature still holds the cards close to their chests.
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