Poker icon Chris Moneymaker saw his poker club Moneymaker Social get shut down in Paducah, Ky. This came after McCracken County threatened to prosecute under the direction of County Attorney Cade Foster.
The 2003 World Series of Poker champion opened the poker room in September 2022. Before he opened, Moneymaker obtained the required written consent needed from Sam Clymer, the County Attorney at the time.
However, Clymer chose not to seek reelection at the end of his term. As a result, Cade Foster was elected to fill his shoes. Upon Foster’s election, things changed for Moneymaker’s social poker club.
Moneymaker was threatened with criminal charges, including a misdemeanor for gambling and a felony charge for advertising gambling. But the club will continue to operate as an entertainment establishment while offering other games, food and beverages.
Unfortunate situation. https://t.co/aGATzmUtJa
— Chris Moneymaker ⭕ (@CMONEYMAKER) February 15, 2023
Poker tables removed from Moneymaker Social
Moneymaker was attending a conference in London and received a call from his attorney. The company received a letter from the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Control denying their application for a liquor license.
Clymer gave Moneymaker the green light, assuring him that operations were legal. Unfortunately, Foster took over as County Attorney, he had a different view on things.
The letter came in the middle of the poker room’s $50,000 guaranteed tournament over the weekend. Authorities allowed it to finish the tournament before immediately removing all poker tables.
“The goalposts have moved, ” Moneymaker said in a statement to Poker.org. “Now we’re in the process of finding out what we can do.”
While poker may not be an option at Moneymaker Social, the establishment remains open for business. Moneymaker will now rebrand it as a sports bar that offers games such as pool and darts as well as pub food and beverages.
The future for poker at Moneymaker Social is uncertain, but they will “remain open and pivot to other activities” for the time being.
Texas was an option for Moneymaker poker room pre-COVID
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Moneymaker was looking at spots in Texas as options to open up a cardroom. Unfortunately, the lockdown gave the 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion the impression he missed out on an early opening given the competition in the state.
The whole point of opening in Kentucky was that everything was above board in charging membership fees instead of taking a rake from each pot. Despite this, the Department of Alcoholic Control cited the club as a gambling establishment and rejected its license.
It is important to note that there are two other Kentucky social poker clubs open for operation with another due to open soon.
Chris Moneymaker focuses on Florida club
What’s next for the poker icon? Moneymaker Social is operational at Palm Beach Kennel Club and hopes to continue growing the game despite the setback in Kentucky.
There will be a tournament series running from May 10-24 in Florida with 20 events along with a live-streamed feature table.
Moneymaker also released a line of merchandise at moneymakersocial.com.