It’s official. The European Poker Tour is not taking any chances with the latest declaration by the Russian government that poker is no longer considered a game of sport and has shifted the Moscow stop of the tour to another location.
Last week we reported that the Russian authorities had put an end to the loophole that poker rooms were using in the country, quoting the law that poker is a sport and therefore should not be included under the same gambling legislation that was passed recently.
The new Russian laws called for all gambling establishments to close, with only a handful of locations allowed to host gambling activities.
While poker enjoyed protection from the law for about a week, the authorities soon put a stop to it and declared that the game is no longer considered a sport.
As a result, Pokerstars.com announced that its European Poker Tour that would have taken place in Moscow from August 17 through to 23rd has now been moved to Kiev in the Ukraine.
Poker Stars said that the new location would mean that the date of the event needed to be moved a day later and the Kiev stop will now be held from August 18th to 23rd at the Kiev Sports Palace.
Those who won packages to attend the Moscow stop through satellite tournaments at Poker Stars online poker site will be able to convert them to European Poker Tour Kiev packages, including accommodation and buy in fees.
There are benefits to North American players for the venue change, such as the fact that they now don’t have to worry about obtaining visas to the Ukraine, as was required before visiting Russia.
The EPT Kiev tournament will be held under the auspices of the Ukrainian Poker Federation along with the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth, Family and Sport.
Ukraine can actually thank the Russians for enforcing their ban and this will be the biggest poker tournament ever held in the country, creating a huge boost for poker in the region.
