Kansas Poker Room Raid Leads To ArrestsWichita Home To Crackdown On Charity Poker Events |
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Authorities in Wichita arrested eight people Friday evening at a poker room that they claim violates state gambling laws.
According to The Wichita Eagle, the raid was conducted at Nilla’s Poker Room. Police obtained a search warrant for the business after receiving complaints from the public about the commercial poker room.
The report said that in January the city told at least two businesses and two city-owned facilities that playing poker, including for charitable fundraising, is illegal.
According to KSN.com, police say that many people in Kansas don’t realize poker is illegal, especially since the state allows raffles and bingo. A 2014 law change authorized those games for charitable purposes and apparently led to many thinking commercial poker rooms were OK too.
“A lot of people, unfortunately, have bad information," the Wichita Police Department told KSN.com. “[What] they tend to listen to could be the Internet, or could be someone who’s just talked to someone and gotten the information. I’d rather that they just get the facts. They need to get facts and the bottom line is in Kansas you cannot gamble.”
Another poker room in Wichita closed earlier this month after 13 years in business amid the growing crackdown of illegal poker games. That room offered poker but not for real money.
In addition to bingo and raffles for non-profits, Kansas permits gambling on state-owned and operated lotteries, as well as at racetracks and tribal casinos. The state also recently enacted an exemption for fantasy sports.
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