A bill to legalize poker was introduced in Virginia last week by State Senator Louise Lucas. The bill, S 1400, would amend the portion of the legal Code of Virginia that pertains to gambling to make an exception for poker under what is currently considered “illegal” gambling.
Right now, illegal gambling is defined as (emphasis added):
….the making, placing or receipt of any bet or wager in the Commonwealth of money or other thing of value, made in exchange for a chance to win a prize, stake or other consideration or thing of value, dependent upon the result of any game, contest or any other event the outcome of which is uncertain or a matter of chance, whether such game, contest or event occurs or is to occur inside or outside the limits of the Commonwealth.
Pretty standard stuff right there.
Sen. Lucas’ amendment tacks on the sentence, “Poker games shall be deemed games of skill, and nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to make any such game illegal gambling.”
Poker is also defined in the bill, but we know what poker is already, so no need to elaborate there.
Note that this has nothing to do with online poker. What would be legalized by the bill is simply the traditional game of poker, not the internet variety. The bill stipulates that any organization that is permitted to host bingo games may also host poker games. Players must be at least 18-years old and the maximum prize is $100 (though it says “poker game prize,” so it might not be totally clear if that means $100 per hand or $100 total for a session).
Just because an organization is qualified to host bingo games, though, does not mean they are permitted to host poker tournaments. The bill has a separate section for that, putting control of poker tournaments in the hands of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
Poker tournaments as defined in this article and authorized herein shall be permitted in the Commonwealth, but shall be conducted only in strict compliance with the provisions of this article. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is vested with control of all poker tournaments in the Commonwealth. The Charitable Gaming Board shall have the power to prescribe regulations and conditions under which such tournaments are conducted to ensure that they are conducted in a manner consistent with this article.
The bill then goes on to detail many of the permitting procedures and responsibilities of the regulators and tournament operators. It’s rather dry, so let’s skip it.
Sen. Lucas, along with her colleague, Sen. Scott Surovell, wrote an op-ed for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in November, urging Virginians to support efforts to legalize and regulate casinos in the state. The catalyst for the article appeared to be the December opening of MGM National Harbor in Maryland, located just outside of Washington, D.C., literally minutes from the Virginia border.
Lucas lamented yet another out-of-state gambling outlet for Virginians, writing:
MGM anticipates that nearly half of its business — $350 million per year — will come from Virginians. The Virginia Lottery’s senior economist estimates that the state’s lottery will lose $15 million to $30 million in sales and $5 million to $10 million in profits per year starting next year because of the MGM casino.
Also giving mention to the possible benefit of fantasy sports revenues, Lucas ended the piece, “While we could choose to continue helping Maryland, West Virginia and New Jersey’s taxpayers, we could also choose to start diversifying our revenue sources and keeping our money, tax revenue, and jobs right here in Virginia.”