Michigan professional poker player Joshua T. Thatcher was sentenced Jan. 19 to 12 months of probation for his role in operating an illegal poker room.
Thatcher pleaded guilty on Dec. 2 to one felony county of gambling operations connected to 906 Poker Social in Marquette.
As part of his plea agreement, Thatcher agreed to forfeit all items seized from the location, including six poker tables, $13,050 in cash and other money held in bank accounts connected to the investigation.
Michigan pro poker player sentenced for role in running 906 Poker Social
Thatcher, 42, of Gwinn, was charged in May 2022 with five other felony counts and a high misdemeanor count, which were later dismissed.
The charges followed a joint investigation into 906 Poker Social by the Michigan Gaming Control Board and the Michigan Dept. of Attorney General. The poker club was open for just three month, from April 1, 2021, to July 8, 2021.
“Unregulated gambling operations do not offer Michigan residents the same protections provided through legal, regulated gambling,” Henry Williams, executive director of the MGCB, said in a release. “The Michigan Gaming Control Board’s mission is to ensure fair and honest gaming in Michigan, and we partner with the Michigan Department of Attorney General to investigate and eliminate illegal gaming activities across the state.”
906 Poker Social was investigated for illegal gambling
In published reports, Thatcher described 906 Poker Social as a private membership club where members gambled against one another. Members were charged a weekly, month or yearly membership fee, plus a $10 per hour chair rental fee. Live poker and other games were offered at 906 Poker Social.
“My office remains committed to upholding business rules and regulations, and that includes our state’s gambling laws,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a release. “I appreciate the work the Michigan Gaming Control Board has done to protect Michigan residents and businesses.”
Nessel’s office prosecuted the case. Judge Jennifer A. Mazzuchi of the 25th Circuit Court in Marquette presided over the sentencing.