South Carolina On Legalizing Home Poker Games: Round 2
The old-fashioned, antiquated gaming laws of South Carolina are being discussed at two hearings, one held March 16th and another set for March 30th at North Charleston City Hall. The draconian system currently bans all card and dice games, including poker, monopoly and by extension, many children’s games and even church raffles.
As Poker strategy reported here, Senator Glen McConnell introduced a bill earlier this year in a bid to update the current laws and make it legal for gambling done in private homes. That is, to make ‘an affirmative defence’ from any prosecution when the game is carried out in a private abode and said dwelling takes no rake or profits from the proceedings in any way.
The bill also calls for the adoption of legal religious, fraternal and charity run fund-raising events where funds are generated through gambling. Slot machines, video-gambling and live sports gambling on live events would still be outlawed.
The hearings are being held to generate support for the bill which needs to be passed through the General Assembly to become legitimate. Support garnered through the hearings is, according to Senator McConnell, a big step towards getting the bill passed,
“I believe we can build a base of support across South Carolina that will make this General Assembly move.”
South Carolina is a particularly special case to the poker fraternity as it is the state where five poker players were arrested in 2006 and charged with illegal gambling. The Mt Pleasant case became the pre-eminent case in legal poker history when court judges ruled, on the evidence of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) that poker was a game of skill.
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
