Poker Getting Closer to Legalization in Texas

Texas poker advocates are making a big push for the upcoming state session of legislation in order to legalize the game of poker, according to a story published in the Dallas Morning News.

As it stands now, there is not any casino gambling in Texas, however the underground poker scene looks to be growing in popularity and with that there have been more raids by police. In Dallas alone in 2006 and 2007 there were 10 raids and 270 poker players were arrested.

Poker advocates are making the argument that under Joe Straus, who is the new House Speaker, now is the time to make No-Limit Texas Holdem legal in the state. The reason for this is that Straus is more open minded about the legalization of poker than the old House Speaker.

Maybe the biggest positive happening for fans of poker is the state Representative Jose Menendez has recently submitted HB222, which would make poker games be operated under the Texas Lottery Commission and this would make the game legal.

Supporters of the bill state that Texas is missing out on a big financial windfall and legalizing poker would bring increased safety to Texas poker players.

Mike Lavigne, Texas director of the Poker Players Alliance in the Morning News article stated, “Right now, you don’t know what kind of game you’re walking into. It could be a game with cheating. There could be collusion. There could be guns. The bill gives the players a safe place to plan in an honest game.”

Last session a similar bill to HB222 made it through the committee, however the bill never had it to the House. If was estimated that if the bill was passed it would bring in excess of $1 million to Texas in only 2 years time.