Europe, Russia More Embracing of Poker, Gambling

In recent months we have seen a handful of European nations open their doors to poker tournaments.

Russia, which only last year began cracking down on Internet gambling and poker websites, has seemingly taken an about face.  Now the nation is placing its stamp of approval on gambling-related events.

The Russian Poker Tour is in full swing and set to hit the city of Minsk, Belarus, from Sept. 17-27.  It will be the showcase of what is now touted as the biggest live poker event in Eastern Europe.

Last week it was also revealed that Norway will host its first legal live poker event, emphasis on the word “legal” as that Scandinavian nation has also taken a stance against online casinos operating there in past years.

Scandinavia in general is an interesting case study as both Sweden and Norway have served as two of the leading hosts for Internet casino companies, both on the operational and software side, since the early days of the industry.  Denmark was once considered the nation with the largest percentage of online casino players based on population.

- Ace King, Gambling911.com