Restaurant owner wants to cash in on the card-game fad
SALEM CITY COUNCIL
DENNIS THOMPSON
Statesman Journal
Poker rooms could open in Salem bars, restaurants, coffee houses and other businesses under a proposal being considered by the city.
Councilor Brent DeHart wants to change city law to allow "social poker games" at private businesses and clubs. On his motion, Salem City Council voted 8 to 1 on Monday to have city staff research the matter and report back.
Poker is enjoying a surge in popularity, prompted by televised Texas Hold 'em tournaments featuring celebrities and top players, DeHart said.
Salem businesses would not be allowed to profit directly from the gambling but could make money providing food and drink to players attracted by the fad, he said.
"We're just going to allow a few games while the popularity is high," DeHart said.
The owners of Lefty's Pizzeria approached DeHart to request the law be changed. Current Salem law allows social gambling at private homes or charitable, fraternal or religious organizations but only if the "house" receives no profit from the games.
"Poker is a very hot game right now," Lefty's owner John Graham said. "We look at it as an opportunity to get people out of the house and in a social environment where they can have some fun. This can be a real hoot for everybody."
Graham said he would like to run a weekly tournament at Lefty's, which also regularly features concerts and other entertainment.
West Salem resident Janet Boley said Tuesday that she is uncomfortable with the idea.
"I think gambling is a problem," said Boley as she studied over a coffee at The Beanery. "It's too easy to suck people in. You don't realize you have a problem until it's too late."
Boley echoed the thoughts of Councilor Bruce Rogers, who cast the sole vote against having staff research the law change.
"Gambling, alcohol, drugs, each can become an addiction which creates a social problem," Rogers said. "We need to think carefully about where we want to go here."
The Salem Police Department has been put in charge of researching the proposal, City Manager Bob Wells said. The city will see how other places in Oregon and Washington have handled the issue and bring back options to the council.
Wells could not say when the city will come back with a staff report.
Several other Oregon cities already allow poker games at businesses.
Portland allows bars or social clubs to run social games if they purchase a $500 permit, although bets are limited to a dollar and winnings to a dollar per person at the table.
Only nine Portland establishments have a permit, and none run poker games, said Anne Holm, a regulator in the city's social-games-program office. These groups play gin or other games.
However, the poker fad has brought pressure to allow games with larger stakes, Holm said. The Portland city attorney is reviewing what can be allowed under the current law -- for example, whether nonmonetary prizes such as sports bags can be offered in poker tournaments.
"It's so popular," Holm said. "People are watching it on TV, which just boggles my mind."
Social games also are allowed at businesses in Coos Bay that obtain a permit from the city, said Linda Mitchell, police records supervisor.
"There aren't too many businesses in town that are licensed for social gaming," she said. "We run background checks on applicants, and the City Council has the ultimate approval."
Keizer passed an ordinance on social games last year, but the change made its laws only as permissive as Salem's current code.
The Keizer ordinance came up when the Oregon Department of Justice shut down card games at the Keizer Eagles' club. The city law did not allow such games at fraternal groups, something Salem's law does allow.
The city considered allowing social games at businesses but decided not to allow it, City Manager Chris Eppely said.
"We were concerned about a rash of poker houses opening up all over the place," Eppely said. "It engenders some real debate."
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