South Carolina Poker Bill Discussed
Monday saw a public hearing to discuss the proposed gaming bill that if passed, would legalise home poker games in the state of Carolina in what it terms as "social gambling".
Senate Bill 535 has been causing a role of poker discussion to hit the State of Carolina, infamous for the case in Mt Pleasant where a home game was raided by armed police and the players charged with unlawful gambling.
Bill 535, currently being debated would make such an event impossible as if the bill was passed it would “specifically legalise home games provided that no rake is taken. Gambling in a private home where no house player, house bank, or house odds exist and where there is no house income from the operation of the game is sociable gambling and so acceptable.”
In addition, during tough economic times, Bill 535 would pave the way for the introduction of "casino night events conducted as a fundraising activity of limited duration by a non-profit organization."
On Monday the proposed bill went before a public hearing. According to the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the main lobbying organization for the poker industry, the audience was split evenly between opponents and advocates of the bills.
The now familiar two sides of the argument were there, including the Baptist church and anti-gambling lobby. The good news for poker fans is that bills introduced in South Carolina carry a life span of two years, "which means that if the bill does not pass by the end of the 2009 session in late May or early June, there's always time in 2010, which is an election year."
To add flair to proceedings and perhaps garner support, At a hearing in front of a South Carolina Senate panel, Bob Chimento, one of the players arrested as part of the Mount Pleasant poker case, recalled the scene when his home game was abruptly broken up in 2006:
"Guns were drawn and pointed at us. They weren't pointed at the ground; they were pointed at us over a $100 fine. Someone could have been seriously injured that night or someone could have been killed."
Should House Bill 535 pass and come into effect as soon as possible, cases like this would become a thing of the past.
Related news:
- South Carolina Judge: Poker Is A Game Of Skill
- South Carolina Judge Finds Defendants Guilty
- South Carolina Bill To Legalize Private Poker Games
- South Carolina On Legalizing Home Poker Games: Round 2
