World Poker Tour Makes Calculated Bet 

World Poker Tour Makes Calculated Bet

State-owned Svenska Spel will be running the online poker market in Sweden, thanks to decisions made recently by the Swedish government. It is reported by the Scandinavian press that the reasoning behind this move, as opposed to allowing a private organization to run the show, is that Svenska Spel will be easier to use to enact state mandates and otherwise keep control of the poker market in government hands. The two year trial has a number of caveats, such as minimum age of 18 to participate, and Swedes must indicate up front how much money they are willing to lose. New details have surfaced, including the dollar amount for the limit, the equivalent of $10,000 USD. Also advertising will be limited to the Internet and newspapers. Svenska Spel feels confident they will be able to corner a third of the $124 million dollar market within one year. The World Poker Tour is credited with igniting the fire of poker that is currently raging across the globe, mostly in the form of online poker rooms where fortunes are won and lost every day. Until recently, the WPT has stayed away from online poker, other than its website that simply reported on and advertised the Tour itself, along with the TV show. Now that they have started their own online poker room they are taking a swim in murky legal waters, but at the same time trying to minimize their risks as much as possible. By restricting their Internet clientele to non-US residents, the WPT hopes to avoid any legal trouble. Gambling and legal experts say this alone may not keep them out of hot water, as any gambling online other than horse racing is considered illegal in the US. Blocking US residents knocks about 80% of all online poker players out of the picture, so the WPT is taking a risk not only legally by financially as well. Related Links: WPT