Portland poker room shutdown passed by the House

Oregon House of Representatives has passed a bill that would amend poker laws to ban profit targetted businesses.

US.- Poker rooms aimed to be profitable are soon to be baned in Portland as Oregon House of Representatives passed HB 2190, a bill that would amend the state’s poker laws. The vote ended up 39-16 in favour of the amendment and now the Senate will have to review the proposed legislation and vote in order to determine its future.

The amended laws would leave only “social” poker games to be organised in Portland and those would be “operated and controlled by a charitable, fraternal or religious organization”, Poker News Daily reports. There are currently 13 poker rooms in the city and seven others in the county.

Portland has become a prosperous poker room center ever since they started opening in 2007 after many challenges to reinterpret gaming regulations passed in 1973. But tribal casinos have been losing about US$10-15 million yearly to poker rooms and they are now pushing for stricter laws that would help them bounce back.

There has been similar attempts for the past four years but they have all faded away. As for the current effort, The Senate, which has saved poker rooms before, hasn’t shown good predisposition to treat it and Portland’s rooms will still have to wait for determinations.