Texas AG:
Card Games Without Money are Legal
As reported by the Dallas
Morning News: "With hundreds of people playing
Texas Hold 'Em at North Texas bars and bowling alleys,
it's a pertinent question: Are the tournaments legal?
"Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says it
depends.
"Public games in which players pay an entry
fee – and therefore have a financial stake
in the bets they're making – would not be
allowed under the state's gambling statute, he said.
But tournaments in which players pay nothing to
enter and don't risk their money – regardless
of whether they can win prizes – don't fall
under the state's definition of gambling.
"The opinion, issued in June in response to
an inquiry from the Ector County district attorney,
allows restaurants, clubs, bars and other venues
that have alcohol permits to operate tournaments
without fear of losing their licenses. Texas Alcoholic
Beverage Commission rules forbid permit holders
from allowing gambling on their premises.
"…The Amateur Poker League's president
and chief executive, Shawn Riley, said his organization
had been following Texas law closely and was pleased
with Mr. Abbott's opinion. He said the league's
lawyers had come to the same conclusion…"
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