A South Carolina Senate committee voted 15-6 in favor of legalizing home card and dice games, so long as the operator does not take a share of the winnings.  (Query whether the operator may charge admission, in effect, legalizing cardrooms.  I’m trying to find the current wording of the proposed legislation to see if this loophole was closed.)  The full Senate must approve the bill before it can become law.  When the Senate will hear the matter has yet to be determined.

South Carolina and Virginia are two of the too many states that still criminalize the home poker game.  (Though, really, how worried are you that a Statie is going to break down a Charleston door and arrest grandpa?)  Legislation was on the tables that would have pushed the needles in each state toward legalization. (Virginia’s would have gone as far as to declare poker a game of skill.)  Sadly, both states quashed the attempts indefinitely.  Back to square one.

Long-term hope in the U.S. Supreme Court?  Perhaps.  President Obama’s High Court nominee, Elana Kagan, used to host poker parties in her home while she was at Harvard.  Over cards, liberals and conservatives would discuss relevant issues.  Sounds like a wonderful side benefit of poker to me.  A shame even the small stakes home game is illegal in many U.S. states…

As reported previously, South Carolina looked to be passing legislation that would relax its strict anti-gambling laws.  And by strict, I mean arrest Grannie and deny her spare Depends when she’s in the pen strict.  But, no.  The South Carolina legislature instead intentionally let pass the deadline to approve legislation that would have allowed home poker games of the ole $20 buy-in/take Uncle Pervis’ beer money (as well as other “controversial” legislation, such as the distance from home one can drive a golf cart).  What’s next?  A bill to see if a witch can float in boiling oil?