U. calls off frat poker event due to Pa. law

Phi Kappa Sigma's charity poker event, originally planned for tomorrow, was unexpectedly called off by the University earlier this week despite over a month of planning.

University officials characterized the event as a violation of state gambling laws. This cancellation may have broader ramifications for Penn's poker scene and other fundraising efforts across activities.

Phi Kappa Sigma President Colin McDonald was notified this Monday that the University decided that any event that awards prizes worth more than the entry fee would be considered gambling and would thus be considered in violation of state law.

It is unclear exactly how widespread the enforcement of this new policy will be and whether any non-poker-related fundraising activities will be affected.

Administrators from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, as well as the Office of Student Life, refused to comment, directing calls to the Office of General Counsel. Associate General Counsel Brenda Fraser did not return repeated requests for comment.

The consequences may reach beyond the poker world. As McDonald pointed out, the wording of the new policy would affect charity events often held by other groups, such as Quizzo competitions or dodgeball tournaments. Both are competitive charity events that in the past have had prize awards higher than the entry fees. Even raffles, a traditional fundraising technique used by groups on campus, could potentially be affected.

"We are not contesting the legality of the decision," McDonald said. "What we are afraid of is that the University's choice to enforce this law to this extreme level basically will knock the legs out of many different activities and fundraising events on campus."

"I think that we really need to address the precedent that it sets."

This new policy, if enforced, will have negative effects on the future of large poker tournaments across campus, like the ones that have previously been held in the high rises.

"It's a big negative to organizations who wanted to capitalize on the growth of poker to help charities," Penn Poker Club President Dan Kline said. Kline, whose club receives Student Activities Council funding, said that no University officials have contacted him and that he was not aware of any broad policy changes.

Yet, he did not foresee this situation greatly altering the campus poker climate, because most poker is played in small private games, in Atlantic City or online.

The University's new policy is the result of a recent meeting among some members of the administration, including representatives from OFSA, OSL, the office of the Vice Provost of University Life and the Office of General Counsel.

"This meeting is worth noting, as its status was not communicated to the student body or any student-run groups," McDonald wrote in an e-mail interview. The meeting made it "impossible for students to both have their voices heard and prevent last-minute [cancellations] like the one we experienced."

The tournament was scheduled to be an 80-person event, with the entry donation of $10, which would have benefited the local Philadelphia chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. A number of local businesses provided non-cash prizes for top-ranking participants. The fraternity planned to give out other non-cash prizes.

The poker tournament, which had been in planning since early October, was the main charity drive for the fraternity, Co-Chairman of Philanthropy and College sophomore Max Dubin said. He added that, although everything is on hold while the University's new stance is clarified, the hope is that the tournament will eventually be allowed to go on in some form.

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