This week, a federal judge ruled that poker is more a game of skill than chance. The decision is a victory for poker advocates who are pushing to legalize internet poker in the U.S. The judge relied extensively on the findings of a defense expert who analyzed online poker games.
The ruling overturned the July conviction of a man charged with conspiring to operate an illegal underground poker club, a business featuring Texas Hold’em games. “Because the poker played on the defendant’s premises is not predominately a game of chance, it is not gambling” as defined in the federal law, the judge wrote in a lengthy decision that traced the history of poker and federal laws to combat illegal gambling.
To help our client understand some of these and other complex legal issues relating to gambling and social games, Pillsbury’s Social Media, Entertainment & Technology Team recently finalized a white paper on legal issues with Gamblification. To request a copy, please click here.