Hayden Sneed is one of Texas poker players who travels more than 120 miles round trip from Plano to play the game he loves. Sneed, 23, said it is a hassle to make the trek across the Red River just for a game of poker. But there may be some good news on the horizon for poker lovers like Sneed.
With the help of State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez and the Poker Gaming Act of 2013, Texas poker players might finally find Texas Hold ‘Em and other forms of poker legal inside state borders. If the legislation passes before the end of regular session on May 27, poker would be legal to play online, in bingo halls or inside of special clubs.
“It would be ultimately convenient because I’m already expending gas and time for a game,” Sneed said. “Over half of the parking lot [at Winstar Casino] in Oklahoma is full of Texas license plates.”
For Texas poker players, the poker gaming act and online poker acts of 2013 would legalize and regulate poker within certain areas of the state, while also boosting the economy by providing upwards of $10 million dollars in extra revenue, according to Nate Walker, Rodriguez’s chief of staff.
