Danish pokerplayer seeking advice

[Pokerpoet]

Hello fellow swedish pokerplayers

 

I am a danish pokerplayer seeking advice about the the laws in Sweden regarding poker.

Recently the danish court ruled it illegal to make a living playing poker in Denmark. Not only do we have to pay taxes from profit made outside EU, but now you are a criminal if you play online poker and make profit from it regardless if it is EU or Non EU sites, as long as the gambling takes place from a computer in Denmark.

 

This has made alot of the danish proffessionel pokerplayers residing in Denmark to consider their options for the future. Including me.

 

I am considering making a move to Malmø, so i wanted to hear if there was any similar rules in Sweden regarding the legal aspect of making a living from poker. Do you only have rules about how to tax your online winnings or is there also any examples or speculation in Sweden, wheter you can be legally prosecuted for being a professionel pokerplayer in your country. In other words, do i have to fear the swedish authorities if i move to Sweden and pay my pokertaxes from games outside EU, or can i relax and play online poker in peace.

 

Thanks in advance for answers

 

P.S you can answer in swedish, since i understand it fairly well, but dont write it that well

 

Pokerpoet

[Jennez]

Det är lugnt, du kan flytta över direkt. Det är skatt på siter utanför EU men annars skattefritt och inte olagligt på något sätt.

 

En hel massa danskar flyttar ju över bara för att det är billigare, lägre skatter och framför allt billigare boende. Dessutom är ju Casino Cosmopol i Malmö smockfullt av danskar ändå. Flytta över och ta med dig alla dina vänner så kanske Skåne äntligen kan bli danskt igen. Jag flyttar ner igen i så fall.

[SouthEast]

I recommend you to contact Cyntax here on the forum.

 

Kind regards

//SE

[eurythmech]

The worst thing that could happen is that some (most, nearly all?) sites get outlawed in the future. Leaving you with Svenska Spel as your only option. If that's available to a Dane residing in Sweden. But I don't know how realistic that is.

[Cyntax]

Flytta över och ta med dig alla dina vänner så kanske Skåne äntligen kan bli danskt igen.

I recommend you to contact Cyntax here on the forum.

 

Kind regards

//SE

(+ my tag team brother Flesh2Flesh)

 

I want to read the read the danish court decision!

The worst thing that could happen is that some (most, nearly all?) sites get outlawed in the future. Leaving you with Svenska Spel as your only option. If that's available to a Dane residing in Sweden. But I don't know how realistic that is.

Then we burn down Riksdagen!

[Ferna]

Play on a Site in EU and u DONT have to pay taxes!

[affe2000]

 

I want to read the read the danish court decision!

 

Me too. Seems not quite in line with EC law.

[Pokerpoet]

Thanks for the answers so far.

 

I want to emphazise that I i dont fear so much to pay taxes and the whole debate about EU vs Non EU sites. Sweden seem to have about the same rules as Denmark in this regard. And so far i have allways played on EU sites.

 

What I mainly want answered is if it is perfectly legal to play poker in Sweden as a whole on a professionel basis.

 

To those interested you can read about the whole Danish poker court decision here:

 

http://politiken.dk/indland/article785102.ece

 

And the whole debate on the main danish pokerforum

 

http://www.pokernet.dk/forum/show.asp?tid=195635

 

And yes it seems to be absurd but what can u do....

 

Pokerpoet

[Pokerpoet]

The courtdecision in the specific case is here:

 

http://www.domstol.dk/hojesteret/Documents/Domme/68-08.pdf

[affe2000]

Thanks for the answers so far.

 

I want to emphazise that I i dont fear so much to pay taxes and the whole debate about EU vs Non EU sites. Sweden seem to have about the same rules as Denmark in this regard. And so far i have allways played on EU sites.

 

What I mainly want answered is if it is perfectly legal to play poker in Sweden as a whole on a professionel basis.

 

To those interested you can read about the whole Danish poker court decision here:

 

http://politiken.dk/indland/article785102.ece

 

And the whole debate on the main danish pokerforum

 

http://www.pokernet.dk/forum/show.asp?tid=195635

 

And yes it seems to be absurd but what can u do....

 

Pokerpoet

 

It is yet perfectly legal to play poker online in Sweden. Just be aware of the tax issues when playing on what is considered a non-EU/EEA site.

[Snygglenn]

Play on a Site in EU and u DONT have to pay taxes!

 

This is Ferna

[Agent Cooper]

P.S you can answer in swedish, since i understand it fairly well, but dont write it that well

 

.

[Juggler]

Tack för länkarna pokerpoet.

 

 

 

Undrar hur domstolarna kommer döma i framtiden. Den åtalade i detta fallet befriades från böter/fängelse eftersom det var oklart om en ändring i en lag 2003 gjorde professionellt spel tillåtet. Högsta domstolen säger nu att det är förbjudet och kan leda till böter eller fängelse i upp till ett år enligt lagen från 1912. Kommer framtida fall då leda till fängelse eftersom det nu är klart?

 

Pokerpoet: Finns det politiskt prat om att ändra lagen?

[affe2000]

Tror inte att straffbelägga spelandet (utom på danska motsvarigheten till Svenska Spel) håller enligt EU:s proportionalitetsprincip även om man vill upprätthålla ett spelmonopol.

[sexyterran]

zomg, fan va sjukt.

 

jag tycker vi tar emot alla danska pokerproffs med öppen famn, fatta om detta hänt oss.

 

 

(...då hade jag iofs bott där det är varmt... hmm...)

[Pokerpoet]

ja det er fan sjukt, det som skjer i Danmark

 

Many danish pokerplayers have just chosen to ignore this court verdict, hoping the police wont waste their time chasing pokerplayers. But personally i think its a little too risky gambling with all the profit i have made from poker. In theory the police could come and confiscate everything u have made any day, and there would be nothing you could do about it as the laws are now...

 

@Juggler79

 

There has been some debate whether to change the laws, but there doesnt seem to be overwhelmingly support from the political parties to change the old law where poker is considered illegal. Recently a law was passed though to make it legal to play poker in clubs for a maximum of 300kr buyin. So thats a step in the right direction. in 2010 the laws about gambling will be looked through and probably be made in line with EU regulatives, so some people hope that this will help change the current situation.

[gsus]

Flytta gärna till Sverige, men absolut inte till Malmö!

Det är verkligen den sista staden i Sverige jag skulle flytta till...

[Pokerpoet]

@gsus

 

Varfor inte Malmø? Jeg har hørt om Rosengård och lignande men vet inte om det er et stort problem i Malmø området generelt.

 

Hvilken by i Skåne kan anbefales da?

[affe2000]

Flytta gärna till Sverige, men absolut inte till Malmö!

Det är verkligen den sista staden i Sverige jag skulle flytta till...

 

@gsus

 

Varfor inte Malmø? Jeg har hørt om Rosengård och lignande men vet inte om det er et stort problem i Malmø området generelt.

 

Hvilken by i Skåne kan anbefales da?

 

Stockholmare som typ varit i Malmö en gång tycker oftast så. Malmö måste få vänjas in. Vet att jag inte får medhåll från alla skåningar nu men jag tycker att Malmö är en riktigt trevlig stad (i alla fall centrum) efter att ha spenderat hyfsat mycket tid där senaste året.

 

Lund är förstås en mycket trevligare stad men det beror nog mycket på studentlivet.

[LuckyStar5.1]

Bor inte i malmö men älskar staden och människorna.

 

 

...Klart du ska välja Malmö, nära hem med !

[Jennez]

För en dansk borde Malmö vara det självklara alternativet men jag gillar inte heller staden. Den är ful. Sveriges största bonnhåla helt enkelt.

[affe2000]

Ful, ja men sett till utbudet av restauranger, caféer och uteliv kontra vilken annan skånsk stad som helst så väger fördelarna över. Dessutom sjukt mycket billigare att bo där än i till exempel Lund.

[rosen]

welcome to sweden, Malmö seems like a good moove and, since I dont understand yours or theirs accent, you should understand eatchother very well.

 

I wonder if we really wants Danish pokerplayers in our society. I mean, there are enough leachers as there is in sweden

 

rosen - proud member of the overtaxed swedish workforce since this monday

[XeroxFin]

Finns det någon statlig nätpoker i Danmark? Hittar inget på danskespil iaf. Kommer livepoker på casinon att bli enda lagliga sättet att spela poker? Tydligen kommer EPT Copenhagen att hållas denna säsong iaf.

 

Fy fan vilken utveckling. Danmark dessutom, som man trodde var fritt och liberalt.

[Pokerpoet]

@Xeroxfin

 

There is no statecontrolled danish online pokersite in denmark yet.

 

The recent court verdict doesnt affect the livecasinos in Denmark that has a license, since they are protected by a special law. So future EPT's in copenhagen wont likely be affected.

 

And you are absolutley right. People in Denmark have allways been joking about how Sweden is 'Forbuds Sverige' and Denmark is much more liberal, but it seems things are changing these years.