WPT Vienna - Host without poker license! Would you play?

Poker was considered a game of skill by Austrian law until January 2013. It is now considered a game of luck and therefore has to be licensed by the government.

Until today private operator CCC Group (host of WPT Vienna) has not been granted with a poker license. So legally seen WPT Vienna will be held without a legal basis.

The CEO of the CCC Group published an official letter in which he stated: "The Concord Group takes full liability over the players money." This shows that a raid by Austrian financial police is not unlikely. A poker club in Linz, Austria was raided by law enforcement one week ago.

I could not find any statement besides WPT on the net and all efforts to reach WPT officials were blocked. Either WPT is not aware of the legal situation or is praying that everything goes well.

Would you play?

http://www.montesino.at/index.php?op...news&Itemid=16

Is it held in a large casino that also offers the usual pit games? If it was held in a solely poker style club, I likely wouldn't play. If it was a full casino, I doubt they would mess with that.

If the tournament has always been run well, I wouldn't let this worry me if I had intended to play it unless it's a poker only establishment. If it's a real casino, then every other game being offered is also a game of luck, so I don't see them making a move. I would imagine a casino would cancel the event if it was a real concern, as opposed to a straight poker room which may roll the dice.

Being American, I am just guessing about all of this, and as to what a poker license actually is. In America, poker is allowed in any casino by approval of each state, but a poker only club would be at risk.

The event has been moved to Casino Baden (near Vienna)!

They try to make it look like it was their choice "...in order to ensure that players and selected tournament events within the festival receive the best experience possible."

Casino Baden is part of the CASAG Group which is state driven and the only operator with a gambling license in Austria.

http://www.austrianpokerfestival.com/news/