Poker Writer
Puerto Rico is considering expanding gambling access, including allowing poker rooms to operate separately from casinos. The Senate of Puerto Rico proposed Senate Bill 960, which would also allow the expansion of online sports betting, esports gambling, and interactive electronic lottery games.
The senators are conducting an on-site inspection to consider the measure and all stakeholders involved.
Senator Migdalia Padilla Alvelo called it a complex process and a very involved bill:
This is definitely a piece of legislation that carries economic impact, and that is because the games produce revenue for the government. It is not carved in stone; there might be further amendments made to the bill, and I always try to look at the bright side of things.
There are several opponents of the bill, many of whom worry that taking gambling and poker outside of the casinos will lead to disruption with less security. There is also worry that the lack of security in cardrooms could damage the image of Puerto Rico as a tourist destination.
Poker in Puerto Rico ‘Nonexistent’
Currently, there is very little regulated poker available on the island. The Casino Metro San Juan is the only poker room listed there. The reviews for this room are mostly negative, with several players calling out the high rake. Dealers and floor staff are also inexperienced, according to many of the reviews.
According to a Reddit thread on the subject of poker in Puerto Rico, poker on the island is really “nonexistent” with so few options:
Poker in Puerto Rico is nonexistent. Casinos’ high rake, and low buy-in make it terrible to play to make money. 10% rake up to 200 dollars is insane and crazy. Also, they take rake preflop, so no flop nor [sic] drop is not in effect. Puerto Rico has a large poker community; the problem is that poker is regulated by the Tourism of Puerto Rico, a bunch of politicians, friends, and people good for nothing that they don’t know what the F (they are) doing.
The thread also mentions underground games in San Juan as better options than the casino. But there was no follow-up information about these games, and not much is publicly available about underground poker in Puerto Rico.
Potential Cardrooms on the Island
Senate Bill 960 would allow poker to expand outside of the casinos and is likely to be a boon for the game locally. There would be an appetite for it, as there are many Puerto Ricans who play poker, including two players who have more than a million in career earnings, according to the Puerto Rico Hendon Mob all-time money list.
The players who represent Puerto Rican nationality mostly play in the U.S., particularly in Florida. Even the players who have current residence on the island have all of their results from elsewhere.
Cardrooms bring their own set of laws and potential issues. Many U.S. rooms aptly demonstrate potential pitfalls. The most famous state for cardrooms is Texas, which now has at least 83 operating. The ones in Texas operate in a legal gray area and are always at risk of being raided and shut down, such as The Lodge near Austin.
But potential Puerto Rican cardrooms would seemingly become legal if the bill passes, meaning no gray area maneuvering required. However, they’ll need to set up a viable rake structure to ensure successful competition against underground games.
