South Carolina looks towards permitting home games
A decision by the Judiciary Committee of the South Carolina Senate has voted 15-6 in favor of advancing bill denoted S. 254 that would legalizing home poker games in the state.
The advancement of the bill to the Senate floor is highly newsworthy after the recent arrest of five men for playing a home game in the town of Mount Pleasant, S.C. Such a bill would oust strict gambling laws that have banned home games with cards or dice for over 100 years. The recent case, heard in March 2025, found the men guilty of gambling for playing Texas Hold'em in a private residence.
John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, the player and aficionado watchdog for the poker indusrtry, commented through a press release: "We are encouraged by the Senate's overwhelming vote to replace the antiquated law restricting South Carolina's basic citizen's rights to enjoy a friendly game of poker in their home. Though the debate is far from over, this step represents a significant opportunity for lawmakers to fix misguided legislation on behalf of the individual rights of their constituents."
Attempting to prove that Texas Hold’em poker has the necessary elements to be considered a game of skill and not chance, potentially proving it not to be an act of gambling under S.C. law means the case has gone as far as the sending of an appeal to the State Supreme Court.
