La. bars at odds with state over poker

BATON ROUGE, La., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Bar owners in Louisiana asked a judge to declare it legal for them to host lucrative poker games, the Baton Rouge Advocate reported Friday.

But State District Judge William Morvant ruled that the bars' request is premature, saying that until an owner is cited for violating state gambling laws, he cannot stop state Alcohol Tobacco Control agents from enforcing the law.

No citations have yet been issued, an ATC attorney said during a hearing Thursday, but she warned that the agency will investigate bars that host poker games.

The taverns fear their liquor licenses could be revoked if they host poker but contend it's legal because in the game, No Limit Texas Hold'em, all the money wagered stays with the players. A lawsuit filed by two bars says the games should be viewed no differently than bowling, golf and fishing tournaments.

But ATC officials say bars are in violation when they profit from the sale of food or drinks to patrons playing in the poker games.

One of the bars said the games attract 50 to 80 new patrons, increasing their revenue and allowing them to hire more employees.