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News
31 January 2006
Poker Players To Get Seized
Cash
Poker
players who had cash seized by police in a raid at a private
club in Belfast at the weekend should get their money back,
a magistrate has ruled.
Police had lodged a
Proceeds of Crime application at Belfast Magistrates Court
to retain the money as evidence.
More than £23,000 was
seized during a search of the Cavendish
Club on
Corporation Street on Saturday, along with other gambling
equipment.
A poker game was taking
place in the club at the time.
Police had ordered up to
200 players - including doctors and lawyers - to stop
playing.
Well-known in poker
circles, the club has hosted the online Texas
Hold'em poker Open
and is often featured on Sky TV.
The raid was carried out
under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusement Order
1985.
The court was told that
police took action because of the number of similar clubs
which have recently opened up.
Club owner Sean Murphy
said in evidence that his club did not make a profit, but he
wanted to put down a marker in the event that
Casinos
might be legalised in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the
UK.
Magistrate Desmond Perry
said the prime purpose of the Proceeds of Crime legislation
was to deal with elements causing society harm through drugs
or other nefarious activities, but the Cavendish Club was
anything but this.
He said Mr Murphy was a
respectable businessman who had not disputed where the money
came from.
"I see no reason for the
further detention of this money and it is left to Mr Murphy
to see that it is returned to those people to whom it
belongs because I feel he won't be re-opening the Cavendish
Club," Mr Perry added.
Speaking after the
hearing, Mr Murphy said he would do his best to comply with
Mr Perry's wishes.
Defence solicitor Kevin
Winters said: "The law covering the playing of poker needs
to be sorted out. My client is satisfied with the outcome of
the case but takes issue with the heavy-handed manner in
which this case was brought to court."
Club owner Sean Murphy
states on the Club's website, "After a long and hard battle
with the Resident Magistrate Desmond Perry we were unable to
convey to him that poker was a game of skill. As the
Resident Magistrate has deemed that poker is not a game of
skill it is therefore illegal in Northern Ireland under the
Betting, Gaming and Lotteries act. However this is not the
end as we are considering an appeal, as I'm sure you will
agree Texas Hold'em is one of the most skilful games
around."
He added, "The up sheet of
this decision is that all commercial poker in Northern
Ireland is illegal."
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