U.S. Supreme Court Considering Federal Ruling On Home Poker Games

The legalities of hosting a poker game are currently determined by the individual state, but the U.S. Supreme Court may soon take on the issue to determine whether or not a game of cards is a violation of federal laws.

In 2011, Lawrence DiCristina was arrested, charged and convicted of running an illegal gambling business and faced up to 10 years in prison for spreading a poker game in a New York warehouse while taking a 5 percent rake.

The Justice Department argued that DiCristina was in violation of the Illegal Gambling Business Act, a federal law. However, Judge Jack B. Weinstein, overturned the conviction and agreed with DiCristina’s argument that poker is more of a game of skill than chance, making the law inapplicable.

A year later, a federal court of appeals overturned Weinstein’s ruling, handing down a judgment of conviction.

Now, with the help of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) and poker pros such as Mike Sexton, James McManus and Greg Raymer, the DiCristina case may be heard in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court will review the petition and decide on Friday whether or not to weigh in on the issue. If the court decides to take the case, poker’s luck vs. skill debate will rage on in the highest federal court in the United States.

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