Texas Hold'em Minnesota State Laws
Texas Hold’em
Texas hold’em is an increasingly popular form of poker in which each player is dealt two cards and there are five common cards. In 2005, the legislature enacted a law authorizing Texas hold’em tournaments that are conducted according to certain requirements.
Does Minnesota prohibit all forms of betting?
Minnesota law generally prohibits betting and the operation of any location
where betting is permitted or promoted. A “bet” occurs when parties agree
that one party will give another party money, property, or some other benefit
in the event of an outcome that is dependent upon chance, even if the outcome
is also dependent upon an element of skill.
Over time, Minnesota has established a number of statutory exceptions to the
general prohibition of betting. For example, Minnesota law authorizes the
operation of a state lottery, bets on horse races at licensed racetracks, and
private social bets that are not part of or incidental to organized,
commercialized, or systematic gambling. Minnesota also allows gambling on
some social skill games (e.g., cribbage, bridge, gin) and social dice games
(e.g., “shake-a-day,” “3-2-1,” “who buys”), provided that they meet certain
conditions.
When are card tournaments legal?
Minnesota permits gambling in certain card tournaments, as long as the
tournaments do not provide any direct financial benefit to the promoter or
organizer and the value of all prizes awarded in a tournament does not exceed
$200.
Until June 2005, only ten card games were permitted under these
circumstances: cribbage, skat, sheephead, bridge, euchre, pinochle, gin, 500,
smear, and whist. However, as of June 4, 2005, Texas hold’em tournaments
and contests are also permitted, subject to the restrictions described below.
Gambling in tournaments consisting of any other social skill game are illegal
in Minnesota.
When are Texas hold’em tournaments legal?
Texas hold’em tournaments are subject to the same restrictions as other social
skill game tournaments in Minnesota. However, there are additional requirements for Texas hold’em tournaments that do not apply to other social skill game tournaments.
Can players be charged to participate in a Texas hold’em tournament?
Players in Texas hold’em tournaments cannot be charged any fee or be
required to give any consideration (something of value) as a condition of
participation. In other words, players must be able to participate in a Texas
hold’em tournament for free.
Information from The Research Department of the Minnesota House of Representatives, a nonpartisan office providing legislative, legal, and information services to the entire House. (House Research pdf file.)