Harvard Lawyer Charles Nelson is trying to get society to loosen up its legislation and opinion of the game of poker. Nelson argues that the game is a good learning tool for people to practice the skills of seeing things through other people’s point of view.

He has spoken out to loosen local Massachusetts regulations and has organized the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society. The society is growing and has other university chapters already. Nelson wants to show that poker is a game of skill and not just chance. He’s also lobbying against the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, trying to separate poker from the other games of chance.

The response has been the same as always. Opposition to Nelson’s argument has heard this before. The Rev. Richard McGowan, a Boston College professor and gambling expert, said “The industry is always trying to argue that these are games, not gambling.”