Federal Anti-Gambling Law Prohibits Playing Poker for Money

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Aug. 6 overturned a district court ruling that poker is not among the games of chance that Congress intended to make criminal when it enacted the Illegal Gambling Business Act, 18 U.S.C. §1955 (United States v. DiCristina, 2d Cir., No. 12-3720).

The case attracted the attention of numerous amici curiae supporting the defendant, including groups of professional and amateur poker enthusiasts and a pair of former U.S. attorneys. The defendant and amici had argued that poker is a game of skill outside the scope of the IGBA.

Statutory ...