The public support is clearly there … it\’s just a matter of letting the politicos know that they will gain supporters, not lose them, by supporting this bill. Check out not so much this story out of Austin … but the comments:
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EDDIE 04-03-2007 22:03:18
this is my only hobbie, with three kids it\’s hard to be a prt of abowling league or pool league. it is crazy that it\’s illeagle
Worst newscast ever! 04-03-2007 22:09:16
OMG please can someone learn to write accurate lead-in copy for a story? On the 10pm news Robert Hadlock just said that \”it\’s illegal in Texas to play poker for money\” while everyone knows it\’s perfectly legal to play a home game for money as long as the house doesn\’t take a cut! Local news in Austin is amateur and embarrassing. Hire better writers! Do better research!
geo 04-03-2007 22:09:31
I hope they don\’t legalize video poker — my sister is a addicted to that and she has ruined her financial condition — I think they need to enforce the law that exists and arrest the people who provide the machines, make them available to their patrons, and the people who are using them. It\’s illegal and law enforcement should do more to get rid of them. Alfred 04-03-2007 22:14:27
Please let them legalize poker! It may open the door for casinos and we certainly need to keep our gambling money in Texas.
diablo 04-03-2007 22:26:23
i myself would love to have poker legal in texas and i think thaT the state could benefit much so from it and i go to louisiana and vegas alot to play i would much rather keep my money in texas
frank 04-04-2007 00:54:08
Gambling bad. Hurt feelings if pass bill. Poker against god wishes.
carla 04-04-2007 09:19:58
Erroneous title… it isn\’t poker that\’s being legalized, but gambling. Funny thing is if the gov\’t can get their share, why not?! Hey, the lotto is gambling. Why isn\’t the gov\’t getting a liqor license too? Or at least supporting that for xtra cash?
maybe should build some rehabs to go with it.
Rob 04-04-2007 09:52:11
It is about time this silly outdated blue type law be questioned. Why punish the many to protect the few that can not control themselves? If poker is gambling then what is Bingo? At least with Poker I have some control as to the outcome of each hand bingo it is all luck of the bouncing ball. Texas is surrounded by legal locations to play poker, lets keep the money here and put it to good use. Shuffle up and deal……
mike 04-04-2007 10:16:59
I fully support legal cardrooms, poker is a skill game,and it is about time we keep the money in Texas that flows across the stateline to Louisiana.
After all it is \”TEXAS HOLDEM\”
Debb 04-04-2007 10:27:59
Keep the money in Texas! We have the lotto why not \”TEXAS HOLDEM\”? mohorton69 04-04-2007 12:24:33
Poker is played in X million homes nationwide. Legalizing it in such public venues accomplishes several things:
1) makes it safer (who wants to go to a stranger\’s house to play),
2) gives opportunity to others who want to play but not necessarily organize such games (not everyone has a bunch of friends who play regularly), and
3) provides an opportunity for state to benefit from the public games while retaining opportunity for private individuals to continue to play without the state \”rake\”.
I say make it legal especially since it is illegal on the internet now (which was generally a safer outlet). Also, you can go to Lake Charles (LA) or WinStar Casino (OK) to see where this missed opportunity goes. Both are within a few miles of the Texas border and get 90% of their profit from Texans.
MATT 04-04-2007 12:46:36
I THINK LEGALIZING POKER IS THE BEST IDEAL AND PLAN FOR TEXAS. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KEEP THE MONEY HERE INSTEAD ELSE WHERE. THERE IS ILLEGAL GAMES ALL OVER TEXAS. THIS WOULD BE A WIN WIN OPPORTUNITY. IF SOMEONE HAS A GAMBLING PROBLEM WITH POKER THATS LIKE SAYING LETS NOT HAVE ANY BARS BECA– USE PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED TO ALCHOLIC BEVERAGES
G.e. 04-04-2007 13:18:20
I agree that legalized gambling, mnot just poker but casino gambling as well will help fill the state coffers…Lower taxes, more jobs etc….get er done.
Debbie 04-04-2007 15:05:25
I support legalizing poker and casinos in the state of Texas. I for one am tired of anti-gaming groups stating people that go to casinos are gambling thier grocery, bill and rent monies away. Or become addicted. That is crazy. Go to Louisana and see who are gambling. Vehicles from Texas line the parking garage. These Texans are usually in thier 40\’s and up. They work hard, own homes, pay taxes. Gambling is used for entertainment. Our bills are paid and believe it or not we set limits. Please don\’t compare us with those few that have compulsive gambling problems. They are going to have that problem whether it is in Texas or any other state. Legalize Poker and Casinos and lower our property taxes. Use the revenues wisely to help take the burden off homeowners.
Michael 04-04-2007 15:38:28
I am 100% for legalized gambling,especially poker-the state has no business dictating people\’s \”morals\”;however,I understand that the proposed rake for tournaments is a ridiculous 30% !! Nobody ever learns -what killed the initial popularity of the lottery was the greed of the government. Why would any reasonable person play under those conditions when play at home is free and the rake on the internet (NOT illegal,by the way) is 10% or less ?
billy 04-04-2007 16:21:44
I hate it when people say poker is a game of chance. If you watch poker tournaments at all you see that there is always familiar faces at the final table. If people say that it should stay illegal because it is a game of chance then ban the lottery.
Dustin 04-04-2007 16:42:34
It really irritates me when people who have no idea what they\’re talking about take a hard lined \”it\’s gambling plain and simple\” stance. You obviously aren\’t a cardplayer, but you also are so closed minded and paranoid that you think those of us who are informed and do know that skill is prevalent are just trying to dupe you into legalizing gambling in this state. I honestly think it\’s not even so much about sticking to morals and saving people from losing their houses, but avoiding looking stupid and being tricked by a bunch of gambling poker playing \”degenerates\”. Which is ridiculous in itself because any cardgame will have a range of diverse people from college students to grandparents of every different race. It\’s hard to cast a huge net over that range and label them all as degenerate and gambling addicts.
STOP TRYING TO PUNISH THE MANY FOR THE FEW ADDICTS THAT DON\’T KNOW WHAT MONEY MANAGEMENT IS. LEGALIZE POKER IN TEXAS!
Sandra 04-04-2007 17:51:30
now where in the bible does it say gambling hurts God? (note to Frank\’s comment) — if you think hard – real hard – you will see that horse racing is gambling, bingo is gambling, lottery is gambling, scratch off is gambling – NO REAL SKILL – so why not let them legalize poker — MY gosh you over zealous religious kooks – try to have some fun in your life — I believe in God, go to church regularly, work hard and every now and then go to the casinos – doesn\’t make me any worse or better than anyone else — SURE I am all for legalization of poker games, and hopefully a couple of casinos in the near future. Dank 04-04-2007 17:55:41
legalize it !! and if you are against gambling then stay way! why should those that enjoy be penalized by those that think its a sin and against their religious beliefs. Its a new generation out there and once the old generations DIE OFF – you will see a new frontier that likes to enjoy life and YES GAMBLE now and then.
Ray & Betty 04-05-2007 01:35:19
First of all,to all those Southern Baptists out there;
Stay Out Of Our Homes. You have no right to dictate what or how we choose to live our lives.
If we decide that we want to take a skill that we have worked hard to perfect and use that skill to enjoy some of our time, then that is our business no one else\’s.
For the love of God, Texas is missing out on all the tax revenue that is currently going to other states just because of those that say It\’s a Sin to Gamble. How ridiculous is that? VERY!
We can only hope that this is the time that ALL Forms of Gambling are allowed in this Great State. After all they call it \”Texas Hold \’em\” for a reason.
Please let the voters decide if this is what they want.
(And not ones coming from other states like they do in Ark*******). We all have a voice, it\’s time to use it. We want to be able to Spend OUR hard earned money OUR WAY! If they do not pass this, then we should use our voices to VOTE THEM OUT!
Bob Keller 04-05-2007 09:15:29
I visited Oklahoma from my home in Texas for the first time on a family trip to Remington Park years ago because Texas did not have a track and we enjoy seeing the horses run. While there I learned of the many things to do in the state. I only visited the track one other time but returned several occasions to explore the states natural resources. A few years ago I went to Oklahoma to play poker in Durant. On the way I thought about how I seemed like a nice place to live with my family. So we moved. My wife is employed at the poker room there… for this reason please no poker rooms in Texas. Keep coming to my new home, and keep paying the fees to play your evil strategy game in my new State and supporting my kid’s schools and social programs and the jobs. In fact would you mind moving the evil strategy game …the red river shootout to Durant, we want those tourist tax dollars also.
James 04-05-2007 11:21:49
I\’m pretty young… I heard that Texas had \”blue laws\” that prohibited selling housewares such as pots, pans, and washing machines on Sunday until 1985. Did the Taliban write that rule? are they still in power? A game of cards where the players compete against each other and the hosting business (and state) takes a fee per hand (aka.. a rake) to cover the costs of hosting it, what\’s the big deal? Louis Cyphre 04-05-2007 11:35:40
Increase taxes.
Dan Michalski 04-06-2007 12:53:04
Just to clarify for GEO … this bill has NOTHING to do with video poker. video poker and poker are two very different things.