Will Texas Legalize Poker
Written by Renee K | Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
It is a clichéd statement, but Texas Hold’em is not legal in Texas. Representative Jose Menendez decided to change this when he introduced the bill known as HB 222 for legalizing poker in November 2008. Texans can play poker for money in their homes provided there is no rake. But real poker is played in casinos that survive on the rake and that poker is illegal.
The bill moved by Menendez has voiced the aspirations of the 500 member strong Texas Card Players Association. Vernon Harrison, president of the association said, “Poker players are the only people in the state of Texas saying, ‘Please tax us. We want what we would get for that tax, which is a safe place to play poker’.” After passing through the required stages the bill was heard before the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee last week.
The bill proposes that the state would issue poker licenses allowing the licensees to collect fees on poker hands and game buy-ins. The licensees would be taxed based on their revenue. The bill provides that measures are taken to ensure a safe playing environment through video surveillance cameras and security. The bill also requires that the players have to be 21 years or older.
Michele Lewis was one of those who testified in favor of legalizing poker. At first her plan was to focus on issues like poker directly generating revenue for the state and creating jobs in casinos and indirectly doing the same through the tourism that would inevitably follow the legalization. Then she realized that all this had already been said and therefore Michele decided to focus on some social aspects.
She decided to react to a statement that she had read on the Internet that parents did not want their children to grow up to be poker dealers. She said that as a mother her first reaction was to agree with that statement. But after a moment’s thought she disagreed.
She said, “If you have a child who wants to deal cards for money, then you have a child who wants to deal cards.”
It would be difficult if not impossible to dissuade him to do otherwise. Therefore, as a parent one would want the child to be able to deal cards in a legal and regulated environment and not in an illegal backroom. Card dealing should carry the perks that other professions carry such as health insurance. She also pointed out that there are girls who strip to pay for a college education.
She said, “But isn’t it sort of an oxymoron that its legal for children to grow up and take their clothes off for money but bad, bad, bad if they touch those dirty cards that are used for go fish, bridge, gin rummy and gasp… poker?”
The voting on the bill will take place this week. We will then know if the legislators have taken one more step in the bid to legalize poker in Texas.
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· Written by Renee K · Filed Under Poker Gossip · Comments Off
