Israel key lawmakers combine efforts to legalize poker

A bill proposed on Tuesday by Sharren Haskel, chairwoman of New Hope faction, a national-liberal political party, and Boaz Toporovsky,  Head of Yesh Atid, a centrist political party in Israel, would legalize poker and host international poker tournaments if passed into law.

The bill would enable the minister of culture and sports to recognize the poker industry with key conditions and grant licenses. It would regulate poker tournaments but continue to prohibit tournaments that are not held with legal permits.

Although sports betting and the lottery are both legal in Israel, other forms of gambling, such as poker, are strictly illegal and carry very serious repercussions. There are no land-based casinos in Israel, but several cruise ships leave Eilat for poker tournaments outside Israel’s territorial waters, reports The Jerusalem Post.

Haskel has previously proposed a similar bill, but now she is a faction chairwoman and has obtained the support of a key ally Toporovsky.

In 2015, then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed opening the first legal casino in Israel in Eilat to attract tourists, but the idea was never implemented.

Any move to legalize gambling is expected to be opposed by the country’s legislative body four religious parties: Shas, United Torah Judaism, the Religious Zionist Party, and Ra’am (United Arab List).