Underground gambling operation in Mission

[bartongrl1]

Seems more and more people are being arrested for playing poker in their homes. For years before TV, Computers, etc. card playing was a past time for people. It was a social gathering between friends, and yes they bet, so why the big deal now?

MISSION - Police an illegal gambling operation over the weekend that involved as many as 50 people, authorities said.
About 11 p.m. Saturday, Mission police officers executed a search warrant at a residence at 911 Keystone Drive, south of Expressway 83 near Stewart Road, police spokesman Lt. Martin Garza said Sunday.
After officers entered the home, they discovered about 50 people playing poker around three large tables inside the living room.

By Jared Taylor

We keep losing more and more of our freedoms. There is no such thing as privacy any more. When and where will it all end?

Mission

[screamingmimi04]

According to the article, this wasn't just a few friends getting together to have fun and win a couple of dollars in the process. As the article states, home poker games don't usually break state gambling laws. The 'casino' here apparently had it's own dealers too, unlike the games we used to play at our kitchen tables, taking turns dealing out the cards. These dealers were actually getting tips, according to what the article states.

If indeed the 'house' was charging a cover charge and raking in cash with this gambling operation, I can see why it was shut down. He was apparently running an illegal casino in his home.

Legal casinos pay huge amounts of taxes to fund our public roads, schools, and various other good works, these illegal casinos do nothing to help anyone but themselves. They just give gambling a bad name.

We'll have to watch this one to see how it plays out in the end.

[stacy123]

To be honest, the only thing that bothers me about this story is the fact that drugs were involved. I do believe the people involved should be prosecuted for that. Otherwise, I don't see the big deal. Was anyone being harmed? No. I think the law enforcement and government should do a little more worrying about the child molesters, rapists and murderers in the world and leave the rest of us alone. If no one is getting hurt, go focus on the people out there doing the terrible things and get out of everyone else's business. I certainly don't think the little bit of taxes theses people are not paying because of playing in the privacy of a home is going to make or break the state and local funds.