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NY appeals court OKs poker conviction after finding Texas Hold 'em games fit anti-gambling law
Published January 13, 2015
A federal appeals court in New York has reinstated the gambling conviction of a man who operated an underground poker club.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan says Lawrence Dicristina should be sentenced for his conviction under a law created to stop organized crime from operating gambling dens.
Federal Judge Jack Weinstein in Brooklyn had tossed out the 2012 conviction. Weinstein had concluded that poker is more a game of skill than chance and therefore could not be prosecuted.
The court case dealt with traditional, face-to-face games of Texas Hold 'em. But Weinstein's ruling also was hailed as a victory by advocates trying to legalize Internet poker in the United States.
Dicristina's attorney did not immediately respond to a comment request.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/ny-appeals-court-oks-poker-conviction-after-finding-texas-hold-em-games-fit-anti-gambling-law