Washington DC: No Exemption for Private Card Games

C. " The statute names specific banned games, faro bank, E O, roulette, keno, thimbles, little joker, but that list isn't the outer limit. " Unlike neighboring jurisdictions that carve out games played in a private home, among family, or for nominal stakes, the District's gambling chapter (Title 22, Chapter 17, Subchapter I) contains no such exemption. " An unlicensed card game at a kitchen table falls outside every category on that list. 01, a fine of up to $12,500 for offenses in that penalty bracket.

A separate, lesser track exists for unlicensed "game of skill machines" under § 22-1704(b), a misdemeanor capped at 180 days and a $1,000 fine, but that subsection targets coin-operated machines, not card or dice games among players.

Enforcement targets whoever "sets up or keeps" the game rather than casual bettors alone, the statute criminalizes the host, dealer, or operator who "induces, entice[s], and permit[s]" others to play, not only the person who bets. MPD can charge a felony under § 22-1704(a): up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine up to $12,500 under the § 22-3571.01 schedule. Operating an unlicensed game-of-skill machine instead draws a misdemeanor, up to 180 days and a $1,000 fine.