State officials are looking into a new business that is upping the ante of an average game of poker, but they are also drawing the attention of some state officials who said it is gambling.

The New Poker Outlet is in the Cedar Hills area and the owners said there is no gambling there. But the Oregon Department of Justice said it isn’t convinced.

According to the Oregonian, state officials believe that the National Poker Challenge, which lets people play cards in a parlor setting, is running an illegal gambling operation, and they’ve asked police to investigate.

Company officials said players pay the company to track their games, and if they do well enough, they’re invited back to participate in free tournaments.

If the players continue to win, they could go home with hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

But officials said that to the Justice Department, it appears a lot like gambling.

However, company leaders said since players can only win money during free games, that makes it perfectly legal.

“When we have tournaments with cash prizes, no one in that tournament has paid a single cent to be in that tournament,” said director of media and marketing for National Poker Challenge Steven Shipowitz. “So, if we sit down and play any game, albeit Scrabble or anything else, as long as we haven’t paid in and get paid out, there’s no gambling.”

Washington County deputies said they may look into the National Poker Challenge to make sure it’s not breaking any laws.

“We hope they will investigate us because what they’ll find out is that we’re doing absolutely nothing illegal,” said Shipowitz.