Governor Pat Quinn is in southern Illinois today to sign legislation that will change how Poker Runs are regulated.
The Governor is scheduled to sign the bill at a ceremony this afternoon at Black Diamond Harley Davidson in Marion. The bill puts Poker Runs in the same category as raffles and places them under the jurisdiction of local county governments. Previously, the state regulated Poker Runs through the Charitable Games Act.
The bill also eliminates the need for each participating establishment to be licensed, as long as those locations are listed in the application. In Poker Runs, individuals typically travel to five pre-determined locations - often bars or fraternal organizations - where they draw a playing card from a deck. The player with the best poker hand at the end of the run typically wins a cash prize. Charitable organizations often use poker runs as fund raisers.
The legislation is SB-3312.
