Backgammon Luck versus Skill

Luck versus Skill

Is backgammon gambling?

From:   Luc Palmans
Address:   palmans.luc@skynet.be
Date:   8 October 2010
Subject:   Bad news from Belgium
Forum:   BGonline.org Forums

Walter Meuwis had to cancel the Hasselt Open because of a conflict with the gaming commission from Belgium. Here's what he wrote: "As a result of a phoned complaint to the gaming commission on Tuesday, 5 October, it has for the first time in Belgium been decided that backgammon is a game of chance. I have immediately contacted the gaming commission and given numerous arguments with result that they would re- examine it. This evening, I have been informed that the commission stands by their decision. This means that it is forbidden to ask an entree fee and give out prize money in a backgammon tournament."

Daniel Murphy writes:

Readers of this forum are probably not aware that tournament backgammon nearly came to an end in Denmark this year. Yes, Denmark, where a national federation has guided backgammon for decades, and where backgammon has been officially recognized as a "mind sport," making the backgammon federation (along with the federations of many athletic sports and fellow mind sports chess and bridge) eligible for government subsidies paid for (I believe) out of the profits of the state's monopoly on domestic lottery and sports betting wagering. The threat was a March 2010 multipartisan legislative proposal intended to improve and modernize Denmark's gaming laws. The problem was that unlike chess and tournament bridge, which were never intended to be subjected to the proposed revisions, backgammon was classified as a "combination hazard game," and faced two unpalatable prospects: outright illegalization, or subjection to onerous restrictions with regard to venue, participation, entry fees, prize pools, licensing, and other regulations which would have made it impossible for the Danish federation to continue running tournaments as it has been doing so well for so many years. Only after vigorous participation by the Danish backgammon federation in the legislative review process, in the form of letters to and meetings with the government tax ministry whose influential commentary on the proposal guided the finalization of the proposed legislation, was a compromise reached that saved tournament backgammon in Denmark. The tax ministry proposed that "tournament" backgammon be specifically exempted in the language of the final bill. The ministry's proposal was accepted, and the bill is now law after passing by unanimous vote in the Danish parliament. However, in making this concession, the tax ministry reiterated its position that other (non-tournament) forms of backgammon (specifically, forms in which the amount of the wager can rise in the course of a game), very much would be subject to the legislation and therefore prohibited unless permission to hold such games -- as with other combination games and games of chance regulated by the legislation -- was sought and granted, insofar as the final legislation might allow that possibility.

Did you find the information in this article useful?

Do you have any comments you'd like to add?