The UK Poker Clubs Association, which has 72,000 members, has announced that it will fight the new Gambling Act to come into force next September. The Association claims that the new provisions will require poker clubs to apply for a casino license and since it limits the daily membership to £3, tournament prizes will be restricted.

“The imposition of casino licenses on poker clubs is neither appropriate nor fair and could result in the closure of many clubs,” G. Owen, Chairman of the UKPCA, said. “In its current form, the Gambling Act could also result in a rise in online poker activity and unregulated "underground" poker”.

In January, Derek Kelly, owner of the Gunshot Poker Club in London, was charged of running poker games without a license. Kelly unsuccessfully claimed that poker was a game of skill, not luck, and should not be regulated by the current Gaming Act.

The UK Poker Clubs Association has already sought legal advice and hired Citigate as a lobbyist. It will be another battle for Tessa Jowell and the government, after the recent super-casino fiasco.