Texas
§ 47.02. Gambling
(a) A person commits an offense if he:
(1) makes a bet on the partial or final result of a game or contest or on the performance of a participant in a game or contest;
(2) makes a bet on the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election or on the degree of success of any nominee, appointee, or candidate; or
(3) plays and bets for money or other thing of value at any game played with cards, dice, balls, or any other gambling device.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:
(1) the actor engaged in gambling in a private place;
(2) no person received any economic benefit other than personal winnings; and
(3) except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning were the same for all participants.
(like the wording, "It is a defense to prosecution..")
No rake, private games are allowed in Texas.
Still, Big Brother is going to save us. Not from homelessness, poverty or cancer. That would be a bit too tough. But still they want to be "do good'ers."
"Going after this gambling thing won't be too work intensive. Will look good on my resume. I saved the people from themselves. Where would they be without me?"
Worthless.