PSNI close Viva Poker Belfast

sonneti

Just a heads-up for northern irish players.

Viva Poker was ordered to close permanently by the PSNI on Wednesday they have deemed poker to be illegal in "South Belfast".

We did try negotiating with the police but as usual they are not willing to move on the subject.

Viva would like to thank all the players that did support the club over recent weeks.

I personally would like to thank the police for protecting us from the evils of playing a skill based game for money in Belfast... I guess we will just have to make do with Bingo, Scratch Cards, The National Lottery, Fruit machines, Telephone betting, Betting online or calling into one of the hundreds of Bookmakers across the country.

pokerkingsni

They have also stopped a club up the road from Viva from running poker too. Though several clubs continue to run with permission from the police.

The sooner this sh**e is sorted out the better. Absolute nonsense. Up there with our footballers not being allowed to play on Sundays and major shops only being allowed to open between 1pm and 6pm on Sundays. A joke.

micko10

Surely the gaming laws have to be changed in n ireland?

How come Magherafelt/Bangor/Banbridge/Cookstown run without the RUC in annoying them?

pokerkingsni

In a nutshell there is no casino law in the gambling act in Northern Ireland. It was taken out. The Gambling act covers Bingo, Bookies, Lottery and gaming machines. Unless the Gambling Act is changed to include Casinos, then poker, blackjack, brag etc. will be illegal.

As far as clubs that run at the minute in the country well its the same as lock ins, its not legal, but it happens. Certain places have deals made with the local cops as far as i know.

POINTBREAK

Its a great pity. Poker is one of the few non sectarian social activities in Belfast. The government in NI wont let us have a Casino even though it would create hundreds of jobs and provide a tax revenue for them. Instead they let people play on the online casinos thereby allowing foreign licence holders (mostly American and Canadian Indian reservations, like Kanawake) to rake in the money. The live players head down south where the "stupid paddys" are more than happy to accomodate them.
At least they let us play on the swings on Sundays in most parts of NI now.

POINTBREAK

micko10 wrote: »

Surely the gaming laws have to be changed in n ireland?

How come Magherafelt/Bangor/Banbridge/Cookstown run without the RUC in annoying them?

Banbridge is closed I think.

corkie123

POINTBREAK wrote: »

Its a great pity. Poker is one of the few non sectarian social activities in Belfast. The government in NI wont let us have a Casino even though it would create hundreds of jobs and provide a tax revenue for them. Instead they let people play on the online casinos thereby allowing foreign licence holders (mostly American and Canadian Indian reservations, like Kanawake) to rake in the money. The live players head down south where the "stupid paddys" are more than happy to accomodate them.
At least they let us play on the swings on Sundays in most parts of NI now.

STUPID PADDYS ? i take u dont condone this type of speech and only saying it in a nonsectarian tone as a joke .

POINTBREAK

corkie123 wrote: »

STUPID PADDYS ? i take u dont condone this type of speech and only saying it in a nonsectarian tone as a joke .

Sorry........ as a "stupid paddy" myself I though it was obvious it was a joke.

mocata

I used to run pub tournies in newry on sunday evenings. Generally good fun. Anyway, local cops told owner to knock it on the head or they would find a reason to close the place. Duly complied, but me and the owner were sitting for a pint a few weeks later when 6 cops burst in armed to the teeth, shields,batons etc. They had a good rummage around, checked all rooms etc. then slunk back out sheepishly. Turns out that the band booked for that night was called "Ace of Hearts" and they had taken that to be a secret code word for a poker tourny

POINTBREAK

hilarious..... I was in the Cavendish when it was closed without warning. 50 Cops in Full Riot Gear turned up and were there for 8 hours while they took all the card tables etc away. It was a massive waste of resources by the PSNI. They could have closed it with a letter or a phone call.

micko10

POINTBREAK wrote: »

Banbridge is closed I think.

Its opened as far as i know.

micko10

POINTBREAK wrote: »

hilarious..... I was in the Cavendish when it was closed without warning. 50 Cops in Full Riot Gear turned up and were there for 8 hours while they took all the card tables etc away. It was a massive waste of resources by the PSNI. They could have closed it with a letter or a phone call.

I was there also and just after taking my £200 rebuy then the teletubbies come rushing in!! TILT:(

POINTBREAK

micko10 wrote: »

I was there also and just after taking my £200 rebuy then the teletubbies come rushing in!! TILT:(

I had 37k. Doubled up from 10k in the first hand was picking up lots of hands and still had the 15k rebuy top up to come.

mocata

I was playing a pool tournament in dunmurry that day and was in a taxi down to the cavendish when the mates rung me. Murphy could put on some show in fairness to him. I remember a few weeks before the raid his big indian punter stopped coming in. There were 2/3 of us playing nitty Blackjack for £5's/£10's. About 2 am he looks up glumly and says, "At least if the cops come in, you guys wont be done for gambling!"