Why is it illegal to bet money on poker, even if it's just a game with your friends at your house?

Question

If everyone's willing to risk losing a bit of money and every player is your friend, why do cops care what you do with your own money?

Answer 1

Because the state loves to make money and meddle in your affairs

Answer 2

Well puritanism still does hold some sway.  All sorts of "vices" still will run you afoul of the law in most places.  These laws all are an affront to personal liberty.  However, governments in their infinite wisdom see fit to change the rules when it suits them, which is why if they can make a profit off of something like gambling they will permit it and prohibit in in other cases where they can't.  Principle has nothing do do with any of this.  In democratic countries the people are to blame for all this ultimately since they are not too principled either.

King Cobra Poker

Answer 3

The last answer is the correct one. At least it is here in Ca. other states I don't know.

Answer 4

Since when was a home poker game illegal?  It's not.  What state are you living in?  As long as the house isn't charging a fee or a rake, you can bet whatever you want with your buddies.  When the house takes a cut is when it goes from being a poker night with the guys to a gambling operation... Big difference.

Answer 5

Because the state can't collect taxes on it. Also, it goes back to America's puritan roots. The Bible is full of references condemning gambling.  

Answer 6

they really dont if its just a few buddies playing cards. they just dont want it getting out of hand. its all a morality issue. if you keep gambling, drugs, stripclubs, etc out of your city, then u have a lower crime rate. its a fact. the tax thing doesnt make sense, otherwise you could put stripclubs and x*x stores wherever you want (which you cant) and drugs would just be legal and taxed like cigarettes. and its a lot easier to control a casino full of people versus a bunch of people in a basement of a chinese restaurant.

Answer 7

it's simple, if the goverment isn't making any money off of it it's illegal.  i just had this conversation the other day but i can't remember what it was we were talkin about.  but basically it was two similar things where one was legal and the other wasn't, and the other wasn't because the govt wasn't making any money off of it.  it's very sad.

just think of how sad it is.  JUST because they can't make any money off of 'personal' gambling...it's illegal.  they might try to justify it by saying it will cut down on fights/deaths due to money disputes, but they don't care about that.  

by the way worldtra..., it has NOTHING to do with our puritan roots.  this country doesn't give a flying hoot about the bible.  they ACT like they do but how could they.  doesn't the bible say thou shall not kill?  but yet we still have a death penalty.  sure someone may deserve to die, but NOONE (ESPECIALLY THE GOVERNMENT) should have the right to take his life.  let that person get what's naturally coming to him.  besides that when a person gets executed they are getting taken out of their misery.  which would be worse to spend the rest of your natural life in prison or to spend the STUPID amount of years on death row and be put to death?

same thing with the casinos.  if it had anything to do with our puritan history and the bible condemning gambling, then there would be NO casinos in this country, and SIN CITY wouldn't even exist!  how can you even think that the law against gambling has anything to do with the countries religious background?  this country acts religious, but if you look at all of the activities it partakes in it is NOT religious.  not that i'm a religious person myself, but i just can't stand hypocrits, and this country is a big hypocrit on so many levels.  

just think about this, adam and eve were supposedly the first two people on earth right?  sooo how did they populate?  their kids had s*x with each other?  and then their kids had s*x with each other?  i didn't hear one mention of incest, but that had to be what it was.  nor did i hear anything about any abnormal babies coming out of this incestual beginning to humanity.  

the bible is a load of c**p.

Answer 8

In some states, it is not illegal to host a cash game as long as the house does not take a cut of the profits.  If you are just having some friends over for poker, I wouldn't worry about the cops busting you - heck, I played at a home card game a couple of months ago and there was a cop there playing with us.

If you are hosting million dollar cash games, then you might have a problem...