Police Investigate Granny’s Mahjong Game

mahjongPolice in Altamonte Springs, Florida, got a hot tip about a possible gambling operation going on, and began an investigation. What they found was a bunch of grannies playing Mahjong, aka Mah-Jongg, in their condominium clubhouse. This is not a crime, as Florida has a specific provision allowing penny-ante games at home, and that law has a specific provision that includes condominium common-areas in the permissible playing area. There is a catch that these games cannot be advertised in any way, so the condo had to take down the fliers reminding everyone, but otherwise the games may go on.

This may be of little comfort to the senior citizens of Muncie, Indiana who had to stop playing for cash in their Euchre games earlier this year. That goes for any Florida Euchre players as well, as Euchre is not one of the permissible games under the penny-ante gambling exception in Florida.

The penny-ante games that are permitted in Florida are poker, pinochle, bridge, rummy, canasta, hearts, dominoes, or mahjong (mah-jongg, in the Florida statutes). The pot cannot exceed $10, there cannot be any entry fees (nor a rake), and no advertising. Sorry Euchre players.

The Euchre story: https://crimcourts.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/indiana-gaming-commission-cracks-down-on-euchre-game-at-a-senior-center/

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