Poker Room Raises Questions Over Gambling Laws

Poker Room Believed Illegal by City

Little Rock - A Little Rock poker establishment is postponing its opening after the city said the venue would go against Arkansas gambling laws.

The National Poker Challenge has already set up shop in Little Rock, and was set to hold its first poker tournament last weekend. But that tournament was cancelled after the city attorney advised the NPC it would be illegal.

The NPC opened one year ago in Memphis, Tennessee. Since then, it has expanded operations to Oregon--and now Arkansas. They advertise as “the only legal poker room” of its kind in the world.

Most players pay a monthly membership fee to track their performance in a league. No fee is charged for playing the actual game, so players don’t have to “buy in.”

But Little Rock City Attorney Tom Carpenter says just because some participants will play for free is beside the point. In a letter to the local officials, Carpenter argued that the NPC’s operation is illegal because it involves the risking of money between two or more persons, on a contest or chance, where one must be the loser and the other a winner.

(Lt. Terry Hastings, LRPD) “Anytime we find a violation of those gambling laws, we issue citations and make arrests for that. That's part of our duty.”

The NPC maintains that its operation is perfectly legal

News Added: 22 August, 2007

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