Amsterdam court decides poker is a game of skill.

[gouty]

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2014/01/amsterdam-court-rules-poker-a-skill-game-17340.htm

How do I make that a link on i pad? Fk knows. Just pissed about for a half hour. Hehe.

Anyways to the point. This is pretty bad news I think as it was a 7 year inquiry which sure must have some gravitas. Surely when it becomes skillful it would be taxable?

Better it's gambling which is tax free. Or not?

[Rexas]

This has happened a few times before, it seems like a precedent at least in Europe is set for ruling poker as a skill game. If I was the prosecution, I'd call verndog as a witness tho.

[doubleup]

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2014/01/amsterdam-court-rules-poker-a-skill-game-17340.htm

How do I make that a link on i pad? Fk knows. Just pissed about for a half hour. Hehe.

Anyways to the point. This is pretty bad news I think as it was a 7 year inquiry which sure must have some gravitas. Surely when it becomes skillful it would be taxable?

Better it's gambling which is tax free. Or not?

Skill has nothing to do with uk tax.  It has to be a trade, profession and vocation and the judge in a legal precedent case specifically said that playing cards every day and winning through skill wasn't a trade.

[Doobs]

The story says it was a Dutch court ruling on Dutch law.  It can't have any affect on us.

[lucky_scrote]

Dutch poker players have always been heavily taxed, so nothing changes on that front. Perhaps the tax situation will actually improve as you pay 30% (I think) on GROSS winnings. Dumb.

The good news is that it improves the chance of other poker yours such as EPT to finally make a stop here. The Netherlands already have their own poker tour (which sucks) but was recently taken over by Caesars; the MCOP will still hold it's name though.

Overall it's splendid news for Dutch poker IMO.

[gouty]

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2014/01/amsterdam-court-rules-poker-a-skill-game-17340.htm

How do I make that a link on i pad? Fk knows. Just pissed about for a half hour. Hehe.

Anyways to the point. This is pretty bad news I think as it was a 7 year inquiry which sure must have some gravitas. Surely when it becomes skillful it would be taxable?

Better it's gambling which is tax free. Or not?

Skill has nothing to do with uk tax.  It has to be a trade, profession and vocation and the judge in a legal precedent case specifically said that playing cards every day and winning through skill wasn't a trade.

I never knew this. I always thought live cash poker in the UK is taxed so highly because the GC decided that it is game of chance and therefore HMRC declared it casino "drop" which can be taxed punitively. Is that an anomaly or are HMRC getting a double whammy?

[Simon Galloway]

It is getting a bit muddled..  In the UK it is clearly a trade if you run a casino...  However, as an individual playing in that casino, it is clearly a "habit not a trade" in line with the ^^ legal precedent.

[lucky_scrote]

Normally poker being found as a skill game in each country is great but it'd be awful in the United Kingdom.

I don't know the laws on home games/private tournaments but every pub does it these days and I know it's pretty shady yet it's hardly enforced. If it does become a skill game here then it'll be taxed accordingly. I think if I can get away with making 30% more money by moving to one of the countries that doesn't tax poker at that point, I'd most likely do it as I don't have many times. Not sure the missus would agree though D:

[doubleup]

If it does become a skill game trade profession or vocation here then it'll be taxed accordingly.

fyp

[doubleup]

 He plays today and he plays tomorrow and he plays the next day and he is skilful on each of the three days, more skilful on the whole than the people with whom he plays, and he wins.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim22017.htm