Rough deal! Bridge is not a sport, say Euro judges

BRIDGE may give you a mental workout but it is not a sport, European judges said yesterday.

The physical element is ‘negligible’ so the card game can only be considered a pastime, the European Court of Justice ruled.

It follows a long legal battle between the English Bridge Union and the UK taxman.

The EBU wanted bridge to have sporting status so it can recoup VAT on tournament entrance fees. It claims the VAT burden makes it harder to get more people playing.

The judges acknowledged that the game involves ‘logic, memory and planning’ but said it is not physical enough.

The EBU yesterday said the ruling could imperil the future of the game. It had hoped that the expected rebate from HMRC, which it said would a be a ‘six-figure sum’, could have allowed it to promote bridge to new players.

The judges did offer the EBU a glimmer of hope by saying that bridge could be entitled to an exemption under the EU VAT directive as a ‘cultural service’.