Although this study was completed early in 2015, it takes a long time for such things to come to a head for most governments, but it seems the general concensous is weighing more and more towards the opinion that poker is a game of mostly skill, ergo it cannot be tax exemp in the UK.
And even though these same people that studied 456 million
hands with there software came to this
bankroll crushing conclusion, they did not pick up on the emotional, crushing, laptop smashing feeling of getting hit with a bad beat for the 3rd time in a row, to put you just out of the money in a tournement you've just played for several hours.
The Math says it all. The fact that the top money makers in the world live,and online constantly cash in enough to earn a very good living from it. At the moment there is still currently a deal between the USA and the UK for any winnings won by a UK player in the USA won't pay tax on it. We'll since it isn't yet taxed anyway why is that important?
It is because that may remain a rule for sometime yet, but taxable poker winnings for many people is not too far away im sure, as the online aspect becomes more and more regulated. Many people think it's a bad thing, I for one am happy they are doing it, so the Americans can get back into online play. I don't live there,but i felt bad for them when most of the sites stopped allowing their transactions. Not good for the game. Neither is the way things are going with Russia's crack-down on internet control.
Since the govenrment in Russia is struggling to control it, then they will most likely try and ban it with the excuse it's being used to launder money (
pokerstars is already on their black list), just like the USA did a few years ago. But taxing poker winnings is not easy if for example the site they play on (pokerstars being one of the main ones) where the uk site is based in the Isle of Mann (a capitol tax haven).
So maybe we may see less Russians playing, which again is bad for the game. I feel personally that Taxed winnings may not be too far away in the UK. but it's better than the alternatives, and very few
poker sites the world over are willing to argue with large governments.
Sorry if i got a bit off topic, but yes poker is a game of skill,and also luck, but theres not enough luck in it for winnings not to be taxed apparently.