More News

Prince George's County fire companies and charities are asking the Maryland General Assembly for permission to start hosting poker card game tournaments at meeting halls to help with fundraising.

But bill sponsor Del. Kris Valderrama (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington is facing opposition from several lawmakers, who are citing previously alleged embezzlement and corruption from the days when charity casinos were legal in the county.

"Who's going to be monitoring this to stop what happened in the past?" Del. Doyle Niemann (D-Dist. 47), of Mount Rainier, asked at a recent public hearing on the proposed legislation. "Who's going to be overseeing this?"

Valderrama's bill would allow qualified charities — mainly county volunteer fire companies — to host a poker tournament once a month to raise money. Every company would have to apply for a permit from the county to host the games, which officials said would cost a player about $125 to enter.

Each night has the potential to raise about $2,000 in profits after the deduction of prizes and operating costs, according to organizers, who said they need the money to buy new equipment for their community fire departments.

"We've run into the same issues as everybody," said Sandy Vaughns of the Chapel Oaks Volunteer Fire Department, adding that charitable donations are down in the current economy. "With $2,000 a month we'd be able to purchase another engine to protect our community."

"I, for one, am for helping organizations that help the community," Valderrama said.

Other firefighters emphasized to lawmakers that it costs the government nothing to allow the gaming, which would help provide community services.

"I'm not asking for any legislation that would cost the state a dime," Jay Tucker of the Marlboro Volunteer Fire Department said to lawmakers. "But we need you. We need you bad, and we need you now."

With the exception of bingo, charity gambling has been illegal in Prince George's County for years. Fire halls were banned from hosting casino night fundraisers in 1997 after federal prosecutors indicted several charities for embezzling money.

But charity officials say it is time to allow the practice again, noting that other counties have been allowed to host poker nights for nonprofit foundations.

"Because of a few groups that ruined it for everybody, we have all paid the price," said Steve Novak, president of the Crescent Cities Jaycees Foundation in Oxon Hill, one of about a dozen charities who hope to add poker to their offerings of bingo and other fundraising events.

Poker, especially the version known as Texas Hold 'Em, has undergone a major surge in popularity since Prince George's did away with gaming, in part due to the popularity of Internet poker sites and televised events such as ESPN's World Series of Poker.

"Many now consider it to be a sport," Novak told legislators.

In addition to the once-a-month restriction on tournaments, organizations would have to submit detailed reports on how much money is raised under the bill, Valderrama noted.

Novak said legislators can change the bill to prevent fraud before it passes the Maryland General Assembly. He invited legislators to place a two-year deadline on the bill to see how the games work in the county.

Valderrama's bill must be approved by the Prince George's County delegation before it can be officially introduced in the General Assembly, which begins its 2010 session on Jan. 13.