104 Year Old Gaming Law Challenged

Five men arrested Saturday Sept 8th, during a friendly Texas Holdem game with a $100+$10 buy in, appeared in court on September 13th. The men were arrested for violating a law written in 1802. The 104-year-old anti gambling law in Greenville, South Carolina, is written in such a manner that would allow all games of cards or dice, including games like go fish, argues Defense Attorney Jeffrey Phillips, who is representing the five men.

Miles Thomas is the prosecutor who brought the case against the five poker players: Mark Thoennes, Michael Wiggins, Michael Cooper, Don McNair and Jarrett Chester. Thomas argued to presiding judge Henry Mims that the law is clearly indicative of illegal games and wagers. However, the law is interpreted, this is the first time the law is being challenged since this was passed more than a century ago.

The five men are charged with organizing a 16-man poker tournament, which was broken up two hours into play by the police department. The raid that began after observation and attention focused on the club house. Released in court papers indicate that officers forced the door open by using a ram at the residential clubhouse where game was being held, guns ablaze, and they forced the players onto the ground, as they might a drug raid. All the players involved complied with the police through the process.