Poker players continue to be a big contributor of charitable works. The poker community always comes to the aid of their fellow man from the huge events like the Big One for One Drop or smaller, more community minded gambling events. It is not uncommon to find a charitable poker game taking place to raise money for someone in need. In the state of Michigan, charity poker tournaments are a common occurrence but now, the rules have changed that will impact just how these games can take place.
The state is now claiming that poker rooms are a public threat and should be regulated. To impose their form of regulation, the Gaming Control Board has placed ‘Emergency Rules’ which were just put in place this past summer. Court rulings were made in favor of the charitable gaming industry so the Gaming Control Board created the ‘Emergency Rules’ to counteract this ruling, according to those in the charity organizations.
The parties involved on the charity side have now filed a suit to try and avoid the enforcement of these rules. In the suit, 25 plaintiffs are named including the charities, millionaire party suppliers and a group that is representing similar organizations. The Michigan Charitable Gaming Association is leading the charge and the suit claims that the new rules are a ‘naked attempt to strangle and suffocate the charitable gaming industry’.
The Gaming Control Board and Rick Kalm, the Executive Director, have been accused of creating the new ‘Emergency rules’ to bypass the rulings of the Michigan Court of Claims where threw out regulations that the agency had developed to supplement the Bingo Act of 1972 in Michigan. Judge Pat Donofrio blocked these rules that would have restricted charity gaming in the state which has taken place for more than 4 decades.
According to the Livingston Daily, the lawsuit shows the similarities of the emergency rules to the rules that were blocked by Judge Donofrio. The ‘Emergency Rules’ would limit the amount of events that can take place at host locations and according to the suit, would limit the right of charities, suppliers and locations to be able to reach suitable agreements and compensation as well as revenues, effectively hurting the charity organizers as well as actual charities who benefit from such events.
Executive Director Kalm believes the emergency rules must be put in place to address public safety as the large scale gambling events at the poker rooms are a threat and compared the activity to state licensed casinos but in a negative light.
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