Good news for all online casino poker players out there, although maybe a bit more for the Russian. According to one of the leading online casino portals, the Russian Federation's 'Federal Agency of Physical Culture and Sports' has decided to classify poker as a “sports game”. In addition, poker tournaments will receive a status of an official sports competition. The online gambling portal added that Dimitry Lesnoy, president of the Sport Federation of Russia, testified on behalf of poker during the commission's hearings on the topic. Although it is still early to predict, it is very probable that this latest move will boost the Russian poker industry, which has been struggling lately.

“Online casino poker is an intellectual, mass marketed, game, which shouldn’t be considered as a regular gambling game” said Lesnoy, an established Russian gaming writer. In addition, Lesnoy focused on the unique characteristics that define poker as a game that involves much more than: skills and tenacity, analytical constitution, and plenty of training. “I’m really happy that the Russian government showed understanding and decided that online casino poker is different” he added.

Besides fighting for this resolution, Lesnoy hopes that his own federation will help online casino poker to become stronger and much more popular in the country. Among others, the organization's goals include the propagation and popularization of poker, the creation of ethical norms and standards, as well organizing poker tournaments and searching for sponsors. It may be too soon to declare this move as a revolution, but Russian online casino poker players can surely start celebrating.