Rumor: AZ to casinos to try to raise poker bet cap

[Percula]

Hi All

I had an interesting conversation with somewhat of an insider in the AZ casino business recently.

In 2010 the Indian gaming compact is up and will have to be renegotiated. The rumor is that the tribes are going to push to raise the poker betting cap to $500.

Anyone else hear anything about this?

[that_pope]

Sweet, by then maybe I will be ready to play 100/200 or something, and it will be spread!

[Wally S]

Inflation already has the max bet up to 162.00, 81-162 should be big unough for you until 2010.

Wally

[Percula]

I am hopeful they will spread a 10/500 game too.

[DesertCat]

Interesting. I've been told the Tribes put the $150 cap in to begin with to limit poker's ability to compete with their new blackjack games (the reason it was originally rewritten in the first place). I can see them starting to reconsider that, not sure that poker really competes much with BJ to begin with, and higher stakes poker games are pretty profitable for them on their own. But if they do reconsider, why retain any cap at all? Why not spread NL?

[Percula]

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting. I've been told the Tribes put the $150 cap in to begin with to limit poker's ability to compete with their new blackjack games ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, it was not the casinos it was anti gambling activists that pushed for that one. The tribes got talked into backing it because they were told that the only way the bill that made it all legal would pass is if they could show there was no way for someone to lose thousands and thousands of dollars.

So instead of losing BJ and other table games, and having yet another round of legal fighting over gaming they took what was best as presented.

We protested and even made it on a the nightly news a couple of times, but for the most part poker players were simply looked as degenerate gamblers that were whining because we couldn't lose as much at one time.

[UbinTook]

The way the compact is written(as i understand), anytime both parties( state and tribe(s)) agree, they can re-negotiate terms.

The rumors about the limits going up in 2010 have been around since the cap went into effect.

[davidlong14]

...how 'bout NL??

[UbinTook]

The likely outcome is that the cap gets raised to 500 to meet the bet limit in BJ. Doubtful if they remove the cap completely so as to be able to spread true NL games.
Also doubt if it would happen before 2010, but who knows...perhaps they may try for the opening of the new permanent casino/hotel/spa at the Indian Bend location in 2009(tentative)