First, a link from the San Antonio Express-News showing that our efforts to legalize poker in Texas are taking hold:

Legalized poker rooms in Texas closer to a reality

And in Florida, which is in the midst of its own mini-poker boom after legalizing the game a couple years ago, is continuing to improve the game, pushing forth legislation to raise cash-game limits and allow for bigger buy-in tourneys:

Florida House plan raises poker stakes

What’s particularly interesting about Florida isn’t so much the poker, but the tax-tweaking related to it. And with that, the ussual opposition seems to be taking a different tack:

The House plans to expand poker and lower the tax rate are paired with an effort to shut down blackjack tables at Seminole resorts.

Fellow Republicans in the state Senate, though, have a different vision. To maximize revenues, senators want to authorize full casinos at Seminole resorts, complete with craps and roulette, as well as blackjack at South Florida tracks and bingo-style slots at facilities across the state. The Senate goes even farther than the House, allowing no-limit poker wagering.

Meanwhile, a pretty good summary of gambling-related initiatives in Texas comes from an email sent out by our opposition in the Christian Life Coalition. And the poli-blogger who subscribes acknowledges that while he is plausibly opposed to much that has to do with expanded gambling in the state, he still endorses Jose Menendez’s HB 222:

Of all the various gambling expansion options I’ve seen, allowing for poker seems to me to be the most sensible and least potentially harmful. Plus, as a bridge player who has had the chance to play for money legally, I think poker is a legitimate game of skill and should be treated as such. In fact, poker players in Pennsylvania and South Carolina recently won court rulings that agreed poker is a game of skill. As such, it’s not clear to me that the AG’s opinion would agree with the CLC about the inherent level of chance here. Of course, I Am Not A Lawyer, and Lord only knows what Greg Abbott will do.

Yeah. People are starting to get it. Go Poker!

There’s a big deal pending with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott right now, and though his opinion is technically not be legally binding, his decision will set a standard that impacts thousands and thousands of players in Texas … and will affect the state’s ability to raise millions of dollars for charity via poker.

The Kerr County Attorney has asked for an opinion on charity poker galas. He wants to know if hosting a pricey dinner that happens to include an optional poker tournament violates Texas gambling laws if the winners are awarded prizes. Likewise he wants to know if leasing a ballroom or banquet hall for such an event constitutes a “private place” defense.

Click here to read the specific and official pending opinion request.

More…

We all know Richard Lee settled his case — pleading no contest and forfeiting more than $2 million dollars to make it all mostly go away. That seems to be the way it goes with enforcing the Class A misdemeanor of “operating a gambling place” … “like seriously, don’t make us try to send you to jail, just give us all your money and everything will be fine.”

Earlier this month, with approval from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, Bexar County officials released the names of Lee’s alleged punters. Some 3,200 of them — the juiciest ones, presumably, redacted … complete with cell phone numbers, you know, so other bookies can find these customers in need. Click here to see for yourself, and let us know if you recognize any celebs on the Lee-List. I definitely maybe know one dude from Dallas on there. I think he plays poker. He lives kinda near where there used to be a poker room. Sounds vaguely and theoretically familiar.

From KSAT:

According to [Bexar County District Attorney Susan] Reed, though, the list does not mean her office will pursue charges against those on the list.

“Being the number of names on here, being a Class C misdemeanor… the cost of that would be incredible,” she said. “(It’s) not something I’m interested in spending a huge amount of taxpayer money on.”