Texas, known for its cowboy culture and strict laws, has been a hotbed of controversy over the legality of poker rooms. In District 12, Collin County, District Attorney Lynne Mendelsohn has made it clear that any form of gambling is illegal and will be prosecuted accordingly.

Mendelsohn's stance is rooted in Texas law, which explicitly states that gambling is illegal. She argues that while there may be some gray areas in the law, poker rooms are ultimately operating illegally. This position has sparked debate among poker enthusiasts and operators alike.

One such operator is Tony Crow, owner of TCH (Tournament Club Houston), a popular poker club in Dallas. While he agrees with Mendelsohn's desire to require Special Use Permits (SUPs) for poker clubs, he believes that the public should not be afraid of these establishments or misunderstand their operations.

Crow points out that his club has a membership requirement, which includes a background check and screening process. He emphasizes that not everyone is allowed to enter the club, citing a list of banned individuals who have been excluded due to problematic behavior.

Mendelsohn's district spans three counties: Collin, Denton, and Dallas. She notes that the City of Dallas has approved two SUPs in the past, but even at the time, there was some ambiguity surrounding the law. The city attorney is currently revisiting and conducting additional research to clarify the legal gray area.

The key issue, according to Mendelsohn, is that someone is making money in these establishments. This could be through food sales, alcohol sales, or rental fees for chairs or membership dues. She distinguishes between this type of gambling and social poker games played at home, which are exempt from prosecution under Texas law.

Mendelsohn also raises the point that while the penal code states it's a defense to prosecution if the gambling occurred in a private place, this does not apply to poker clubs where anyone can become a member by paying a cover charge. This, she argues, is not a private space but rather a public one., the legality of poker rooms in Texas remains unclear. While some argue that there are gray areas in the law and that poker operators are doing everything they can to comply with regulations, others believe that gambling is illegal and should be prosecuted accordingly. The debate will likely continue until the Texas Legislature takes action to clarify or change the existing laws surrounding gaming.

Latar Belakang:

Poker rooms di Texas telah menjadi objek kontroversi terkini. Dalam Distrik 12, County Collin, Pengacara Distrik Lynne Mendelsohn telah menyatakan bahwa semua bentuk permainan taruhan adalah ilegal dan akan diproses sebagaimana mestinya.

Mendelsohn's stance berbasis pada hukum Texas, yang jelas-jelas menyatakan bahwa permainan taruhan adalah ilegal. Ia berpendapat bahwa walaupun ada beberapa ruang abu-abu dalam hukum, kamar poker adalah operasi illegal. Posisi ini telah memicu debat di antara penggemar poker dan operator kamar poker sekaligus.

Salah satu operator kamar poker adalah Tony Crow, pemilik TCH (Tournament Club Houston), sebuah klub poker populer di Dallas. Walaupun ia setuju dengan keinginan Mendelsohn untuk memerlukan Izin Khusus Penggunaan (SUP) untuk kamar poker, ia berpendapat bahwa masyarakat tidak harus takut akan kamar-kamar poker atau salah mengerti operasinya.

Crow menegaskan bahwa klubnya memiliki syarat anggota, termasuk penelitian latar belakang dan proses screening. Ia memperingatkan bahwa tidak semua orang diizinkan masuk ke klub, karena daftar individu yang dibanned telah dikecualikan sejak awal.

Kesimpulan:

Legalitas kamar-kamar poker di Texas masih belum jelas. Sementara beberapa pihak berpendapat bahwa ada ruang abu-abu dalam hukum dan operator kamar poker sedang melakukan segala upaya untuk memenuhi regulasi, lain-lain percaya bahwa permainan taruhan adalah ilegal dan harus diproses sebagaimana mestinya. Debat ini akan terus berlanjut sampai legislator Texas mengambil tindakan untuk membahas atau mengubah hukum yang ada terkait dengan gaming.

Referensi:

1. "Poker Rooms Unwelcome in District 12, DA Says" (Spectrum News 1)
2. "Texas HoldEm Poker Deluxe – Aplikasi di Google Play" (Google Play Store)
3. "Texas HoldEm Poker Deluxe Pro – Aplikasi di Google Play" (Google Play Store)