Following a meeting and vote by members of the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) on November 16, poker has been added to the IMSA list of officially recognized mind sports.
Poker joins the likes of bridge, chess, mahjong and Go, being classified as a mental sport requiring skill, strategy and focus. IMSA acknowledgement of the game in this way comes after a campaign led by the World Poker Federation (WPF), a network of 49 national poker federations, and counting, across five continents.
“We have achieved something today that is both unprecedented and definitive,” said WPF President Igor Trafane, pictured above, right, with IMSA CEO Geoffrey Borg, “Our mission now is to build the foundation that every major sport already has: standardized regulations, professional pathways, player protections, and international competitions.
“The World Poker Federation was built on the belief that, by joining forces, we can amplify our impact and protect the game we love.”
The vote took place on Saturday in Sao Paulo, host city for the BSOP Millions.Sporting stars turn out to celebrate
The WPF threw a star-studded celebration in Sao Paolo, Brazil to mark the historic moment. Held during the BSOP Millions festival, the party was attended by various stars from across the sporting world - appropriately for a game officially gaining a newfound ‘sporting’ status.
From the world of soccer, former Real Madrid and Brazil star Marcelo was joined by Tamires, captain of Brazil’s women’s national team, and her wife, singer Gabi Fernandes. Tennis player Bruno Soares joined the celebration, as did MMA fighter Anderson Berinja, boxer Lila Furtado and poker players André Akkari (below), Rafael Moraes and Lauriê Tournier.
Brazilian pro Andre Akkari is a long-serving PokerStars ambassador.
Recognition strengthens fights for growth and regulation
The WPF has been preparing for this moment since initially applying to the IMSA in December 2022. It aims to use the IMSA rubber-stamp to further push for poker’s development and regulation, through co-operation with governments, operators, national federations and regulatory bodies in countries around the world.
Talking to PokerOrg, WPF CEO Leonardo Cavarge points to recent developments in Colombia as an example of the global federation’s work in helping to legitimize poker in the eyes of officials.
“In Colombia, only casinos could host poker events, both live and online, and 50% of the revenues had to be paid to the government; they blocked poker, basically.
“The Colombian Poker Federation approached us for help, so we brought the Minister of Sports from Colombia to the LAPT, and presented information regarding poker’s potential for job generation, tax payment, tourism, entertainment and so on, and they went back with a different perspective. This was around one and a half years ago.
“In the last month, the Colombian Federation got an approval from the Ministry of Sport, recognizing poker as a sport and suggesting poker be included in future incentive and investment programs.”
The recent recognition by the IMSA will encourage and strengthen the WPF as it looks to take up similar causes across the globe.
Images courtesy of the World Poker Federation/Rational Intellectual Holdings, Ltd/Danny Maxwell Photography
