As you know, the WTO - the world trade organization - categorically prohibits any attempt to ban official types of business in individual countries. And poker that was recognized as intellectual sport on a par with chess, now refers specifically to such official types of business. And it is impossible to prohibit any activity recognized as legal in the country. Even the world hegemon, who once decided to move some unfortunate banana republics with his fingernail. Antigua and Barbuda, on the territory of which the poker room equipment was located, were "offended" by the US government, which without warning blocked the access of citizens to sites. Moreover, no one had even the slightest doubt that no sanctions would follow. But there it was.
The state was punished with twenty million dollars a year in compensation to the island republics.
That's why when the Italian authorities suddenly decided to follow such a bad example and also forbid their emotional and hot-tempered citizens to play online poker. Moreover, this decision had a peculiar meaning: the company is international, the money will flow out of the country, why is this needed? However, the WTO looked very threateningly at the frustrated politicians and recalled how such arbitrariness is punishable. therefore Italy received special status.
Player Pool
From now on, it is possible to play online poker only for Italians and Italians. That is, actually transfer internal money from the left pocket to the right. Players have their own website - pokerstars.it, and registering there while in another country and not being a citizen of Italy is impossible.
For a while, a special model was considered, like in Finland, in which gambling establishments belong to the state, but where is Finland, from which the international corporation is good, like from a dandelion of wine. The country in which it lives, including infants and the elderly, five million people, may not be interesting. Therefore, no one filed complaints with the WTO.
And another thing is Italy, a wealthy and prosperous country with six hundred online poker providers. And there are only three left.
And the leading position was taken by the notorious PokerStars - the main operator on a planetary scale. In Italy, the national hero contributed a lot to this - Gianluigi Buffon, the goalkeeper of Juventus and the national team, who signed a contract with the Stars and became a special poker ambassador in his homeland.
Either because of the actions of the brilliant goalkeeper, or because the Italian professional poker players showed a serious class in international competitions, but the Italian government allowed the holding of national live tournaments.
In particular, an international format has appeared, ItalianPokerTour, but really, why lose the extra money to the budget from thousands of tourists coming to the event?
After all, people coming to poker competitions will not leave right after the main event ends? Since they arrived, they will see the sights, appreciate the culture, try the national cuisine. Consequently, it is not extra money that will settle in the country's budget, is it really bad? Therefore, in a similar context, poker began to manifest itself as a national sport.
Good or bad?
Sometimes those who manage by hook or by crook to register in the poker room of Italy, wolves howl: Italians are incredibly expressive, while they categorically do not know how to restrain their emotions or in any way calculate future actions.
They are so irrational and so distracted from the game that even a very skilled player can beat even the most experienced old-timers of the local PokerStars.it site.
But! It is for this reason that the Italian government protected its citizens from participating in international online battles. Because sports in Italy are far from the fastest horse. And at such a pace, cunning and gritty Russians could simply gut the country.
Therefore, even if you managed to register in some way on the website of an Italian gambling company, withdrawing money abroad will not only be difficult - it is almost impossible.
According to the special rules of state regulation of gambling, the player will be checked in several stages for the purity and belonging of the Italian nation and state, and then they will be allowed to withdraw funds. And this is not a poker room naughty, these are quite specific legal requirements, within the framework of which poker sports exist in the country. Fish, like nowhere else, and therefore completely protected from "fishing seines" from the outside.
If you want to go to an international tournament, leave Italy!
Despite the fact that international competitions are held in Italy, the Italian players themselves, if they wish to participate in an international online tournament, will need to leave the country. Not forever, of course. At the time of the tournament. And to participate no longer under the local account, but under the general, registered on the main domain of PokerStars. This is exactly what Luca Pagano and Dario Minieri, Italy's poker champions, do.
Each time they have to travel outside the country, as in Italy the activity of the main sites is blocked, and participate in online tournaments, being at least in Malta, where everything is allowed, including online poker.
The same applies to non-professional players who wish to take part in planetary tournaments. While in Italy, it is impossible to go to sites where representatives of other countries play. But, hanging in a neighboring state, where online gambling is not prohibited, you can do whatever you like. And in principle, there is nothing to complain about.
Many countries that are not members of the WTO have the opportunity to completely and unconditionally ban poker, which, in fact, they do. Therefore, the ability to play at least under such conditions is a breakthrough. And, as they say, it is worth being thankful for the opportunity to join the intellectual sport. Or do you think that Italy should open its market to international companies?
