Posted on 02/15/2005 8:02:09 AM PST by kahoutek
HARTFORD — Restaurants in the state might be able to cash in on poker's popularity under one legislator's proposal. The bill would allow restaurants to sponsor poker and other card games or tournaments to draw customers. The establishments could use the card games only as a way to attract new customers and not for direct profit.
"It's a good way to get customers," said Jim Farrel, spokesman for the Connecticut Restaurant Association that supports the legislation. "The restaurants won't be benefiting from the gambling, but will be benefiting from new people coming in. As we know, poker is now a trendy thing."
The card game has become trendy beyond its traditional smoke-filled-room image, as world poker championship tournaments appear on television and celebrities play on a weekly program.
Rep. Brian O'Connor, D-Westbrook, got the idea to propose the bill after the state issued a cease and desist order to several New Haven-area bars that sponsored poker tournaments. He said it would be reasonable to allow card games for recreation with limited gambling.
"This could offset other losses restaurants and bars have from the smoking ban," O'Connor said. "Poker games happen in individual homes. At least this is a way it could be more regulated."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.newstimes.com ...
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww.....Although you are aginst it, you said buffalo wings and poker. ~shudder. That is sooooooooo wrong.
Binion's World Series of Poker has been televised for years. I can remember it being on in the early nineties. But as someone else has pointed out, it's the 'lipstick camera' that shows the players' hands that has recently made it so popular because insider knowledge makes it fun to watch.
My favorite is the one on Bravo:
Buffalo wings OR poker. Never AND, only OR. Either that, or have many many decks of cards on hand...a new deck every deal.
[Big G]overnment's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
The only reason they can't have the poker parties in the first place is because of government. Reminds me of an old quote, the source of which I cannot remember:
Government is good at only one thing: It breaks your legs, hands you a pair of crutches, and then says, "See, without us you wouldn't be able to walk."
I read the article. I still say the house will implement a rake that they will say covers the costs of having the game there, including TAX from the local government.
No, it says they can't directly profit from poker, what ever that means.
A rake would be as direct as possible.
Which government caused in the first place. I'd be leery of a new law to "fix" the problem the first law caused.
They are still going to get a cut of a proposed "pool" to offset the loses from the government imposed smoking ban as the Politician stated. It's still a rake or cut anyway you look at it. I don't see how a cut or rake of a pool is indirect.
If the stupid politicians would just state the fact that the restaurants would benefit from the measure directly, then less people would be skeptical of the measure.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.