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Federal Bill Aimed at Banning Online Gambling? (But Not Poker)
Posted by: James Carter. - Fri, 2014-02-21 14:05
Sheldon Adelson’s anti-online gambling and online poker crusade has stirred up the pot quite a bit and now all sorts of lawmakers in the most unexpected places are looking to get something done, even if that something turns out to be half-baked and counterproductive. According to the latest news, Nevada Senator Dean Heller has teamed up with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (!) in order to come up with a federal bill that would ban all forms of online gambling, with the notable exception of
online poker. Apparently, the lawmakers aren’t wasting any time with the bill either: they’re planning to have it drawn up within two weeks.
Exactly how such a bill would impact the current online gaming scene is a mystery. While Nevada has only legalized online poker to begin with, in New Jersey, people are already gambling away online.
According to Heller, Adelson has brought up some legitimate concerns in the opening salvo of his anti-online gaming crusade. Heller now says that nation-wide online gambling could be a risky proposition, and it may end up generating some stringent social issues in the long-run. Heller is apparently also worried that online gambling could generate unwelcome competition for Nevada’s land-based casinos, a worry which is probably to blame for the fact that Nevada lawmakers never seriously considered the legalization of this form of online gaming.
Back in 2012, Heller was involved in the legal initiative that Sen. Harry Reid tried to push through the lame–duck session of Congress, a bill which would’ve also outlawed online casino gambling, while legalizing and regulating online poker, so this move on his part doesn’t really come as a surprise to those who know the recent history of online poker’s troubled legal standing.
Opposition to the currently worked-on bill is expected from members of the American Gaming Association.
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