Home / Poker News May 2009 / Legal Moves for Poker in Texas and South Carolina
Legal Moves for Poker in Texas and South Carolina
Posted by: James Carter. - Wed, 2009-05-20 19:56
There's movement across America as the march towards, and away from, legalised poker continues. In Texas it was a step backwards as Rep. Jose Menedez's Poker Gaming Act of 2009 got taken off the agenda last week when lack of support combined with a veto from Governor Rick Perry marked the death of the consideration of the bill at the current time. The idea behind the bill had been to legalise poker play in particular locations such as public houses and charitable organisations which would operate under a state license and would be operated by Indian Tribes. One of the biggest appeals of the bill was that it would make poker play taxable, and half of those taxes would go towards helping the homeless of the state. The lack of support for the bill made it unfeasible to have it considered currently, however a new time for its consideration has been set for June 2nd.
The next state to hit the news this week for a potential shift in poker policy is South Carolina, but whilst they are certainly a step ahead of Texas the horizon isn't yet clear there either. The state law, which many would claim is very outdated having not been changed in 200 years, currently prohibits any game using dice or cards, thus making even a home game of poker, or monopoly for that matter, illegal. Hence Bill 535 which has earned the nickname of the "common sense" bill was introduced to allow friendly games and give non profit organisations the right to run raffles. Bill 628, works a different aspect by clarifying that games of skill are not unlawful. Whilst both of these bills have now moved out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, there is little faith that they will be acted on this year as the session's end quickly looms.
