A criminal case that has been in the Dutch judicial system for over seven years was finally brought to a conclusion this week with a finding that poker is predominantly a game of skill, rather than chance.
The ruling presents international lawyers with another precedent in the on-going fight to position poker as a game more of skill than chance, and therefore exempt from most definitions of gambling, where chance plays the dominant role.
The Dutch case involved three men charged with organising illegal gambling, and the court heard evidence on research conducted by a number of independent experts, says Amsterdam-based lawyer Peter Plasman.
It is the second occasion (see reports on the van Zadelhoff case) on which a Dutch court has made the finding that poker is first and foremost a game of skill rather than one predominantly of chance.
The prosecution is still considering its position vis-a-vis an appeal.