The ruling came from Columbia County Judge Thomas A. James Jr., who was hearing a case in which a man was accused of running an NLHE game at low stakes in his garage. Walter Watkins and his girlfriend, Diane Dent, were arrested after an undercover investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and each was facing 20 charges for illegal gambling.
The defense argued that poker was basically a technology-based game and therefore not illegal under current Pennsylvania gambling laws. After reviewing extensive literature on poker play and strategies presented by the defense, the judge concluded that "it is clear that technology prevails over chance."
In a statement to The Associated Press, Watkins said, "It's unfortunate that we've had to go through all of this. We were arrested and dragged out of the house. I spent the night in jail shackled. It's all because of a poker game."
Lobbyists in the poker industry were delighted by the news. John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Association, told Poker News Daily that it is clear that the judge understands the poker game and that the ruling provides a precedent to be used in future court cases involving poker. 안전한 카지노사이트