Discrimination case against disabled players - request for comments
Hi fellow players!
I am currently arguing my case in the Finnish anti-discrimination board and started thinking maybe some of you might have additional helpful information.
The background is this: I have a severe muscular dystrophy, so when playing live poker I can not physically touch and look at my cards or move the chips as my hands don't work. Therefore, my personal assistant would need to be next to me, show me the cards after they've been dealt and move chips when I bet/raise. I have no communication issues so I can clearly announce all actions.
I have played at the only legal casino in Finland twice without issues. On the third time they remembered that they actually have a policy which fully denies having a personal assistant at a table. Apparently it indeed is not a new thing as someone else has already tried to complain about it in 2022.
They have been throwing around all kinds of reasonings, maybe trying to see what might stick to the wall, but their main argument seems to be that a player "must make all their decisions independently" and they can not be sure if the assistant might be somehow secretly taking part in the action making. I really don't understand this point, since assistant would not have access to any information that I don't.
If I am interpreting their "best" argument correctly, they claim to be worried about this kind of a scheme:
1. When the assistant shows me the cards he manages to see them too
2. On my turn he secretly signals to me which action to take
3. I'm there just as a dumb proxy who might not even understand the rules, and therefore the other players could not read tells from me
Considering how marginal part of the game tells really are, is this really an actual cheating scenario to be so concerned about, that an entire protected minority must be therefore fully denied participation? To me the answer is an obvious no. All this sounds extremely far fetched and even when successful the gained advantage would be miniscule. And we are talking mostly about NL500 games and smaller here, not any kind of high stakes.
I have already found a couple case examples of international players who need an assistant to play and have not had issues even in WSOP tournaments. I think my case should be quite strong and I may still consider filing a police report too about criminal discrimination, but I'd still appreciate any additional thoughts and help about this. And of course you are also free to disagree with me.
Thanks for reading!
8 Replies
Can your assistant use a tower and move the cards over the window so that only you can see through the viewing lens? The cards can then remain face down on the felt and your assistant would only need to touch your chips.
Thanks for the suggestion! Unfortunately their tables do not have such windows, not sure if they'd help.
A tower isn't part of the table. It's a portable object you put on the table with a ramp big enough to hold your playing cards. It contains a viewport that allows you to see the cards through a set of mirrors while the cards are still face down.
Something like this:
Sorry you're dealing with this issue. It does seem discriminatory for them to not let you play.
I do think the other poster is on the right track. Did you explain to the casino what your disability is, and ask them how you can play without your assistant?
I guess what I'm getting at is what is your goal? Are you trying to get in the game or win a lawsuit? If you're just trying to get in the game I would start with talking to someone. If that doesn't work send an email to the casino explaining your issue and ask in writing for a reasonable accomodation. If that still doesn't work it seems like an email paper trail would make a court case stronger.
I certainly tried talking to them first! Unfortunately that did not change their stance. :/ I might boycott them in the future anyway, but I'll try to get the policy changed for the sake of others in similar position at least. There's no lawsuit yet at least, just an official complaint of sorts.
I certainly tried talking to them first! Unfortunately that did not change their stance. :/ I might boycott them in the future anyway, but I'll try to get the policy changed for the sake of others in similar position at least. There's no lawsuit yet at least, just an official complaint of sorts.
Well good luck! Their stance doesn't even make sense.
I would recommend making it clear that your helper would only be acting as your hands... Holding up the cards so you can view them, physically moving chips out, etc. There's no reason they would even need to look at the cards or act in any sort of way that could influence your decisions.
Just reread your post and realized you are already formally arguing your case, so I guess it's too late to talk to the casino. Good luck.
What a terrible situation. Hope it works out for you. I have 0 knowledge of how these laws and things work in Finland. In the US, the mere thought of having to deal with legal/civil consequences would be a pretty big deterrent for the casino not allowing this. As you mentioned, I have seen the WSOP accommodate similar situations. Were players complaining? That is another thing that baffles me, was somebody that much of an a-hole and they complained? I would imagine any reasonable floor/manager would simply tell that player, the man has an assistant to show him his cards, that's it, if you have a problem with that you are free to change tables or not play.
Hi Joza, I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I also have muscular dystrophy, I have a legal background, but I live in the United States. I’ve played live poker with an assistant at multiple venues here without issue when the assistant is clearly “hands only” and I make every decision.
I did a quick Google search on Finland’s rules, and the core framework looks like a balancing test: access vs game integrity. Under Finland’s Non-Discrimination Act (1325/2014), providers of goods and services have a duty to make reasonable accommodations (section 15), and denial of reasonable accommodation can count as discrimination (section 8).
Your request is straightforward: you can decide and communicate actions, but you need physical help handling chips/cards. The casino’s strongest argument is game integrity (collusion/coaching), but a blanket “no assistant” rule is not the only way to protect the game if there are practical safeguards.
A big factor here is that this is the only available casino, so refusal effectively excludes you from the entire live poker venue in the country, which heightens the pressure on the casino to find a workable accommodation rather than defaulting to a hard no.
I believe there are reasonable options that protect integrity: written “hands-only” rules, the dealer confirming your verbal action before chips move, and relying on casino surveillance (they already record and monitor tables). They could also require that the assistant be casino-approved, or even provide a casino-appointed assistant, which directly addresses the “assistant might influence decisions” worry.
Ask for the refusal in writing. Ask them to email the exact policy they’re relying on, the specific reason for refusing your proposed accommodation, and whether they considered alternatives (and why they rejected them). A written refusal keeps the facts from shifting later and gives the Ombudsman process something concrete to evaluate.
I hope someone at the casino with common sense steps in and gets you back at the tables soon.
Can this issue be solved with a mirrored device? At many blackjack tables the dealer slides his downcard into a beveled mirror to see what it is while it is still face down. If you really want to PLAY and not SUE, can you approach some handiman in your community to build you a mirrored device to see your downcards? something with a small hood.....If you are in the 1 or 8 (9?) seat the dealer could slide your cards into the device which would be a modified version of this mirrored thingy and you'd be able to see them...look up 'blackjack peeker' if you don't know what I'm talking about...hope this helps
I think the independence argument is overblown since the assistant wouldn’t influence decisions they’d just enable physical access. Other regulated events and tournaments allow similar accommodations. If the player can announce actions themselves, the integrity of the game remains intact. Accessibility shouldn’t automatically be treated as a cheating risk.
American non-lawyer here, so no understanding of Finnish law, tenuous grasp on the US law system. However I know that while laws can be passed, it doesn't make them legal.
Finland has a constitution and Section 6 deals with equality and Section 19 deals with right to care. Perhaps together they supercede/invalidate this law that was passed.
