Usually they just civil forfeiture the money and give half back if you agree to settle and get a misdemeanor ticket. If the person is also a bookie is the only time I’ve seen them actively pursue anything more serious. Pretty weird they are this aggressive but every county is different.

Definitely depends on local laws. I've been at games that got raided and the club reimbursed the players, mostly the dealers just spend a night in jail and the owners get charged and plea out for something smaller. The games never stop either, at worst they relocate. Bookmaking is the big one, and any table games are an instant shutdown and charge situation (blackjack/roulette). Drugs obviously are an issue also when these places get big since most of the people who can gamble all day are involved in at least one other sketchy endeavor, and if the club is involved in that they get shut down for good.

Moral: Don't run an underground poker club without first purchasing an okay from the sheriff.

Once you start taking rake it ceases to be “basically a home game”

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As far as the law all I know is each state deals with this stuff very differently. I know nothing about Indiana so I won’t comment on that.

However..

I was at the straddle club in Manhattan when it was raided by police and all they did was take all of our IDs and then hand it back to us (guessing they were checking warrants)

I was able to cash out and the people that weren’t as lucky as me to cash out got their money honored by the game runners.

Another club I went to in CT got full on raided and they busted everyone and came in wearing swat team attire. One guy got scared they were being robbed and jumped to his death.

2 other times in NYC… my buddy was at a game that got robbed and was zip tied and personally robbed.

The second time in NYC there was a game that got robbed and this mawg from NJ got accidentally shot and killed.

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Home games are just more dangerous in every way possible. I like to refer to them as ticking time bombs.

I get that the games are juicy but is it worth your safety (not that a casino gives you 100% protection) but surely security acts as a deterrent.

Bet you don’t mention that on your SF86 do ya

I told my boss, the company president, about it and he thought it was funny. But our board was pretty straight-laced and not so sure they would have appreciated the joke.

Really dumb this is illegal, not to mention a felony

Agree that there's tons of government hypocrisy on gambling. And perhaps a few other areas.

On the other hand, the gambling advertised on TV is licensed, regulated and pays its taxes. Also, if there is a B&M venue, it is only permitted in certain parts of town.

I guess there are a few areas like this. Do you want the police running in every little girl who sets up a lemonade stand? No. Do you want to just let anybody sell food without health inspectors, taxes, etc? Also no.

If this guy was seriously making $200 a night running small stakes with little rake, I guess it's somewhere in between. He shouldn't get 6 years, but they should probably bust up the game and give him a significant penalty.

Guy does something that’s a felony

Gets arrested for a felony

Surprised pikachu face

Just wait for the DoJ to start arresting these illegal online card room game runners. Not gonna be fun.

Anyone heard updates, this could be somewhat impactful to other underground games across all states?

I live in Tennessee and I have been hearing a LOT about home games and the rake these places charge. You may think "oh, it's only a 1/2 game" but the money adds up fast and there is little overhead.

I have mixed feelings about it. I think there should be plenty of legal options but I also think that if you run a home game it shouldn't pull a rake but damn near everyone does.

I recognize that one guy from when he managed the poker room at Tropicana. He probably had a TON of contacts to keep that game going. There is a poker club in Henderson just 30 minutes away in Kentucky.

Also I hears a rumor that Bally's is going to open the poker room up in a couple of months but am trying to get confirmation.