According to published reports this week, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has handed down strict new regulations on charity poker games.
The impetus for the effort is a desire to crack down on illegal gambling, liquor law violations and other crimes born of illegal and authorized real-money gaming.
Michigan allows for designated charity poker rooms to hold tournaments where the host site partners with charities and they split the rake in an effort to raise money for those charities in need, as well as provide people with local poker tournaments.
PokerFuse reports that the new regulations will go into effect on September 1st.
According to the provisions outlined:
- There is a decrease in the hours of operation of gaming rooms.
- Closing time is moved back from 2:00 AM to midnight
- The maximum number of chips that cane be sold is 45k per day (no longer 90k).
Regulators say there have been at least 300 violations enforced on card rooms since last summer.
“In the end,” observes Jeff Walsh of PokerFuse, “it looks like the charities will be hurt the most. In 2012 the games brought in almost $16M for the host charities and, with the new regulations, and the maximum number of tournaments able to be held cut in half, this number is sure to decrease dramatically.”
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