- The bill would create a poker division under the Texas Lottery.
- Existing pari-mutuel facilities, bingo halls and tribal organizations would be eligable to apply for licenses.
- Electronic poker tables would be banned.
- Cash games would have no limits on buy-ins and a 10% rake capped at $4.
- Tournaments would be limited to a max $100 buy-in.
Correction: The article as originally published stated that online poker would be banned under the proposed legislation; however, the bill would not affect the current status of online poker in Texas.
Texas state legislatures will have a new poker bill to consider in 2013, after a measure called the “Texas Poker Gaming Act of 2013” was introduced in December.
The new bill, sponsored by State Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin), seeks to regulate the offering of brick-and-mortar poker games. However, electronic poker tables, warmly supported in an earlier Texas poker measure that died in committee, would be banned under the Rodriguez bill.
Rodriguez’ measure would define a new poker division of the Texas Lottery Commission, though the bill also defines poker as a game of skill and therefore not a lottery.
