Police arrest 12 in Aviation Club raid

The future of one of Europe's most prestigious gambling clubs is now uncertain.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning last week, more than 20 armed police officers stormed France's famous Parisian based Aviation Club de France, arresting a dozen suspects connected with the venue.

The raid was carried out by French national judicial police following an order from the Grand Instance Court in Paris, and saw several employees of the venue, as well as its Director of Games Marcel Fransisci, taken into custody.

Six of the dozen men were released the following day, but the other half, including Corsican politician Fransisci, are facing charges related to financial crimes ranging from undeclared income to money laundering.

An anonymous source told CalvinAyre that the raid "had nothing to do with poker", but that it had more to do with the "management of money coming through table games such as baccarat."

Fransisci's lawyer claims that the case against his client is "based on an information, not the actual operations of the circle", and that "the facts are disputed and controversial."

Temporarily closed

Seven of the 11 major gambling establishments in the French capital were closed permanently from 2007-2012, and now "temporarily closed" itself, the fate of the century-old club looks bleak.

"It's a blow," said one employee. "It's done for us! That's 200 people out of work tomorrow...they came to close the circle not for a simple control."

Bruno Fitoussi, a nominee for this year's Poker Hall of Fame induction, first introduced the game of Texas Hold'em to France at the Aviation Club de France back in 1995. The venue was a catalyst for the popularity boom that poker enjoyed in France over the subsequent decade.

Do you think the Aviation Club de France will close permanently? Should such a historic venue suffer the penalty for crimes committed by a few individuals? Let us know in the comments box.