As one country puts laws into place to shut down online gambling and poker, another takes steps to legalise and therefore regulate online poker.

On August the 20th, Judge NB Tuchten handed down a new judgement stating that gambling using digital products would now become illegal in South Africa. This means that if online gambling operators and online players within South Africa continue to operate or play, they will be in direct contravention of the law and face a R10-million fine or 10 years in jail, or both. Seems like they mean business this time! But how will they enforce this? It has proved notoriously difficult for other countries and US states to do so.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the Dutch government-sponsored Online Gaming Advisory Committee has realised that the current laws are completely ineffectual with regards to online poker and is now recommending the legalisation of online poker just like sports-betting and lotteries are presently legal and state sponsored. There are a number of reasons for this but one of the stronger ones is that the only viable way to curb online poker if it were to be deemed illegal would be to have ISP providers block sites which would violate current EU fair trade laws. If the Dutch government does take the advice of the Online Gaming Advisory Committee, the laws will be similar to the online poker laws that have been implemented in France recently, where only online poker rooms that were licensed in Holland would be able to provide online gambling to Dutch residents.

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TThe World Series of Poker is the biggest and most prestigious poker event presently and is now set to debut in Africa at the Emerald Resort and Casino from October 24-31.
 
Past WSOP winners include legends such as Phil Ivey, Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson, Phil Helmuth and Stu Unger. As well as these players are the host of celebrity players who have become regulars at the WSOP. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Don Cheadle, Shannon Elizabeth and Lou Diamond Phillips are among them.

Martin Rice, Emerald Resort and Casino CEO is thrilled with the news, saying: "Rugby, soccer and cricket each have a World Cup, Poker has the WSOP."

The WSOP is in the top 10 of the most admired sports brands in the US.

"Poker has, over the past half-decade, accelerated in popularity. Our Emerald Poker Series, and its growing fields, is testament to the unlimited success of the sport. It was only natural to follow-on its popularity with the greatest tournament on the planet," says Rice.

A No Limit Texas Hold'em Freeze Out will be the main event and will take place over 4 days with entries starting at $ 5000 (stack of 40 000 chips) with each level timed at 60 minutes and running antes introduced at level 5. The field is limited to 500 players. Starting blinds are 50-100.