  We carefully analyse the present experimental evidence for a complex CKM
matrix, even allowing for New Physics contributions to $\epsilon_{K}$,
$a_{J/\Psi K_S}$, $\Delta M_{B_{d}}$, $\Delta M_{B_{s}}$, and the $\Delta
I=1/2$ piece of $B\to\rho\rho$ and $B\to\rho\pi$. We emphasize the crucial r\^
ole played by the angle $\gamma$ in both providing irrefutable evidence for a
complex CKM matrix and placing constraints on the size of NP contributions. It
is shown that even if one allows for New Physics a real CKM matrix is excluded
at a 99.92% C.L., and the probability for the phase $\gamma$ to be in the
interval $[-170^\circ;-10^\circ]\cup [10^\circ;170^\circ]$ is 99.7%.
