The victory was a small but important one in the journey of Texas House Bill 222, the Poker Gaming Act of 2009. With a 6-3 vote in the Texas House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee, the passage included one stipulation: local communities would be able to hold their own votes on whether or not to legalize poker games.

Rep. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) introduced HB 222 in November of 2008 with the intention of authorizing and regulating poker in Texas. Declaring that poker is a game of skill, the wording of the bill notes that “unregulated poker gaming conducted by unlicensed operators in public establishments is inimical to the public health, safety, welfare, and good order.” With that, the legislation gives opportunities for poker gaming licenses to Indian tribes, charitable organizations, pari-mutuel establishments, and bars and taverns in return for tax payments, 50 percent of which would benefit homeless programs and organizations.

The bill was put in front of the committee on March 25th to hear testimony from supporters as well as the opposition, and the vote was set for one week later. On April 2, the vote was taken and passed. The stipulation added for local communities, which would allow them to collect fees from the games via poker licenses, may be the key to pushing HB 222 all the way through the legislative process.

As Mike Lavigne, Poker Players Alliance state director for Texas, told the Dallas Morning News, “The vast majority of communities in Texas will hold successful elections allowing Texas hold’em at specific locations. This is a smart way to allow local control over what will quickly become an economic development issue.”

The success of HB 222 through the committee process pushes it to the Texas House of Representatives for a floor debate sometime in April, though no date has been scheduled. According to Rep. Menendez, the rest of the journey for this bill will not be an easy one. “…The Legislature is made up of 150 Reps and 31 Senators, and if I can convince a majority of them to pass the bill, I still have to have the bill written so that the Gov. won’t veto it. What I’m trying to say is that we are a long way from home and we may have to make changes to the bill just to get us to have a safe and legal place to play.”

What the public can do before the House of Representatives discuss the bill is contact the members of the Texas legislature and express support for the bill. The voices of the public will play a major role in the passage or failure of this important state level poker bill. The Poker Players Alliance allows people to initiate correspondence with the players in the Texas House and Senate from its website (www.pokerplayersalliance.org).

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