Knesset lawmaker Sharren Haskel has introduced legislation which could lead to the legalisation of poker in Israel.
Haskel’s bill depends heavily on a recent finding by Supreme Court judge Neal Hendel that poker is a game predominately of skill rather than chance, a classification that would take the game out of the definition of illegal gambling.
The bill seeks to define poker as a game of skill and for the creation of regulations for the Israeli Poker Players Association, permitting the organising of both Israeli and international tournaments under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance.