talkmagic.co.uk

I suppose this confirms the validity of the old adage "a little knowledge is dangerous".

These moron pub owners who think they know what they're talking about are inadvertantly driving their own potential profits down by alienating people like us who just want to have a laugh and a bit of entertainment.

I wasn't (and still am not!) aware of the specifics of the current gambling act, but I just had a hunch that it wouldn't be illegal to do magic in pubs, or even to simply play a no-stakes card game.

Mr. Black writes, in part,: "I'm not sure where Peter got his 'cards are completely illegal' idea from.."

Mea Culpa! It's been more than 40 years since I was in the U.K. so. . .

Perhaps this has more to do with the revamping of pubs into high class drinking places, or the wish by the landlord to give the place an upmarket image? In the bad old days of pubs with closing times, sawdust on the floor etc, cards, darts, dominoes were usually available behind the bar for customers' entertainment. The basis was that if you offer such items free of charge then the customers stay longer and spend more in your pub.