Florida Poker War Wages On

In South Florida greyhound racetrack owners were excited to be able to offer poker tournaments to eager players, giving them a chance at a jackpot worth hundreds of dollars by paying a single entry fee. When the state moved in to put a cap on the entry fee, many of the owners sued to have the fee lifted. Once again they were happy when two courts ruled that, under current FL law, the state could not limit the entry fees to $45. Now they are cursing their luck, however, because in response the state has yanked all rules regarding poker tournaments, effectively shutting them down. On Friday, the federal appeals court in Tallahassee acted to deny the request for an injunction by Daytona Beach Kennel Club and five greyhound tracks. Essentially the injunction would allow the tournaments to continue; now the owners will have to wait until early December to find out whether the state had authority to make the changes to tournament rules.