One of the most well respected poker clubs in London has had its license revoked. Why? For being one of the most well respected poker clubs in London.
The Hackney Gazette reported Tuesday that The International Private Members Club, located on East Road, has had its license revoked by the Hackney Council. The reason: too much gambling. The International is not technically a poker club or gambling hall, though it is arguably best known for its well-run poker games. But therein lies the problem.
Poker and other games of chance are allowed at private clubs by the 2005 Gambling Act, but only if they are not the primary purpose for a club’s existence. The objectives of The International, as listed on its website, are “to maintain and advance Sport and Games principles, and encourage social intercourse between its members both male and female.” In addition to poker, The International highlights billiards, chess, Scrabble, and backgammon as also being offered, as well as sporting events on big screen televisions and a private bar and restaurant.
Despite all that, the Hackney Council’s licensing enforcement team has determined that poker was the main purpose of the club, a conclusion that resulted from an 18-month investigation. As such, the club’s gaming permit and premises certificate have been revoked, though while the ruling is under appeal, The International can continue to hold poker games. Alcohol may not be sold during the appeal period.
Someone just visiting The International’s website for the first time may agree with the Council. On the November schedule, there are at least two poker tournaments with real money buy-ins every day.
The club’s chairman, Barry Martin, said that when it was founded, nobody expected the poker explosion. “Just because you don’t list the activity in the initial application it doesn’t mean it’s illegal or not right to provide that to your members,” he told the Gazette. “We operated for over two years without a word from the council to tell us we shouldn’t be doing what we were doing, we thought everything was ok, we never thought we were on the wrong side of the law.”
“Our private members’ club was set up so people didn’t have to go into a casino-like environment so they can play games of their choice, in a club where they felt safe and not turned into some financial number on a spreadsheet,” he added.
The poker community has responded to the news with disappointment. “Sigh. A really well run club…will be a huge loss for the London poker community,” wrote one poster on the Two Plus Two message forum.
“Best place I have ever played poker live,” wrote another.
Players do seem to understand the Council’s ruling, though. As one poster on Two Plus Two said, “What irritates me about The International is that everyone knows it’s a poker club and yet to avoid getting a gaming license they persist with this absurd rigmarole that it’s just a private members club where people, from time to time, might have a game of cards. That’s not a viable long-term business plan and the licensing authorities aren’t stupid and yet Barry Martin still continues to insult their intelligence by feigning surprise that poker is so popular (while employing a raft of professional poker dealers).”
Or, to put it more simply, “I think most people are only surprised it took so long.”
