Home / Poker News February 2012 / Iowa Takes Major Step Towards Legal Online Poker
Iowa Takes Major Step Towards Legal Online Poker
Posted by: James Carter. - Wed, 2012-02-22 16:28
The state of Iowa has indeed taken a major step towards legalizing
on line poker the other day, when a 3-member legislative subcommittee has approved Senate Study Bill 3164, which would essentially legalize online poker. The move means that the said bill will now go to the Senate State Government Committee, which may pass it as early as this week. In its current shape, the bill is an interesting document indeed: it will essentially allow those licensed to conduct excursion boat, casino and racetrack gambling in the state, to accept wagers on poker over the internet.
One of the provisions of the bill is that online wagers can only be accepted on poker and all its variants, therefore it’s safe to conclude that the said bill would do nothing for online gambling. Another provision is that licensees are compelled to verify that those playing online are at least of 21 years of age. Existing operators would not automatically become licensees upon the passing of the bill.
Each prospective licensee would have to submit an application, together with proof regarding its ability to uphold and adhere to the provisions of the said bill.
Another interesting thing about the Iowa bill is that if approved, it would not only offer options for intra-state online poker, it would cover interstate and international operation as well.
According to Senator Wally Horn of Cedar Rapids, the bill was a necessity, since online poker was being played in the state anyway, and it needed to be regulated. While the bill seems to have gathered some impressive bi-partisan support, not everyone is on the bandwagon. According to Tom Chapman from the Iowa Catholic Conference, the bill will only result in more people playing and becoming addicted to poker. According to Danny Carroll of the Family Leader, Iowans do not want the bill as its effects on the family would definitely be negative.
