Friday, March 09, 2007

The poker club had been under investigation and was believed to violate laws
against organized gaming. Most of those arrested were fined and allowed to
go home. Police continued to hold those believed to be the organizers of the
poker club. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that those arrested ranged
from ordinary fathers of small children to gang members. "It was difficult
to determine any connections among then," said prosecutor Nicolas Nyhus of
the Romerike Police District. "They most probably were just individuals who
meet in the club to play poker." Norway's poker association (Norges
Pokerforbund) criticized the police raid, contending it was an overreaction.
"At a time of murder and rape cases, it's amazing that the police choose to
round up 30 grown persons who gather to play for a few hundred kroner,"
Hanna Nilsson of the association told Dagbladet.no.