A High Court judge has been asked to decide whether bridge is a sport.
Mr Justice Dove is expected to analyse argument over the next two days at a High Court hearing in London.
The English Union (EBU) took legal action after Sport England refused to recognise the card game as a sport.
Union officials say recognition that bridge is a sport will have ''beneficial consequences'' for the game.
''Sport England refused to recognise bridge as a sport, a position which the EBU believes to be inconsistent with both the wishes of Parliament, and the opinion of significant international sporting organisations,'' said an EBU spokesman.
''When ruling on what constituted a sport in the 2011 Charities Act, Parliament specifically included 'mind sports', stating that sport comprised 'activities which promote health involving physical or mental skill or exertion'.''
He said bridge required ''undoubted levels of mental skill'' and had ''known health benefits''.