The Legality of Charity Poker Tournaments

Filed in archive Poker on February 15, 2006

Gone are the days of car rallies, golf challenges, garage sales and home-made lemonade to make some money for charity. Nowadays, its all about poker. I'm just waiting for the 11 yr olds at the local scout group to hold a hold'em tournament at the local retirement home.

But are poker tournaments for charity legal in the US? It seems as if no-one really knows for sure.

In these types of fundraisers, players pay a fee to enter the tournament and there's usually a nice, non-monetary prize at the end

...knows that it's illegal in Texas to play poker for money but when it comes to playing for charities, he's not sure how the law reads.

That's because one local shop owner, Dana Cantu, believes there aren't any written rules that address charity organizations and poker tournaments.

Whilst some think holding these tournaments are the same as holding a raffle or casino night, others think that anything in which you pay money for a game of chance is essentially gambling - and thats illegal. But then again, how to go about enforcing it is another matter entirely

Article: Are Charity Poker Tournaments Legal?