Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko gave an online interview to the editors of the publication "Gazeta.ru,". In it, in particular, there was the question of poker.
- Over time, if you do not think a mistake to ban poker in Russia? The answer is that the casinos began to hide under the guise of poker clubs will not be accepted, because if the casino went into hiding under the guise of "Kindergarten" you would not have to close kindergartens?
*- It was not the main reason for the closure of poker that was hidden under the guise of his casino. Perhaps one of the reasons. In fact, we are talking about something else: Is poker a sport.
*Today in the register of sports included about 135 sports. It takes a certain set of criteria. And one of the criteria is the recognition of the IOC, optional inclusion in the Olympic program. And then, poker just for this set of requirements is not approached. We do not prohibit the actual game itself. She just has to develop according to different rules.
*In principle, chess is also not an Olympic sport, but it is included and recognized by the IOC as an intellectual game. If we include poker, then it will be necessary to include dozens of different games. It's not an illegal activity, the non-inclusion in the register of sports is not banned. He just has to develop according to different laws. It does not have to be a gamble, to involve young people and so on. There are requirements to obtain the status of sports. Funding support for the development of programs and so on.
*Today, the Ministry of Justice registered the order, the procedure for determining the status of receipt of the sport - please. Not only poker has not received the status of the sport. There is a set of requirements, would not want to go. I have a special reluctance, of course not. And without poker are illegal casino