ANNAPOLIS — House Advantage: Bill Proposes Decriminalization of Gambling At Home
Maryland residents may soon be able to legally host poker nights.
A bill sponsored by Delegate Kirill Reznik, D-Montgomery, would decriminalize games of chance or skill involving bets or wagering that occur in an individual’s home, protecting participants from current potential punishments of imprisonment and up to $1,000 in fines.
Delegate Marvin Holmes Jr., D-Prince George’s, also proposed a bill that would decriminalize the games in 55 and older communities.
“What makes a casino a casino is that a cut of the winnings is saved for the house,” Reznik said at the House Ways and Means Committee Thursday. “The laws are so restrictive now that a person’s home is deemed a casino.”
The bill would only apply to games in which the host would only financially benefit from wins related to playing the game.
Reznik said that the police he’s spoken to support the bill, and Holmes said the state’s casinos would not lose business.
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Maryland residents may soon be able to legally host poker nights.
A bill sponsored by Delegate Kirill Reznik, D-Montgomery, would decriminalize games of chance or skill involving bets or wagering that occur in an individual’s home, protecting participants from current potential punishments of imprisonment and up to $1,000 in fines.
Delegate Marvin Holmes Jr., D-Prince George’s, also proposed a bill that would decriminalize the games in 55 and older communities.
“What makes a casino a casino is that a cut of the winnings is saved for the house,” Reznik said at the House Ways and Means Committee Thursday. “The laws are so restrictive now that a person’s home is deemed a casino.”
The bill would only apply to games in which the host would only financially benefit from wins related to playing the game.
Reznik said that the police he’s spoken to support the bill, and Holmes said the state’s casinos would not lose business.
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