Home / Poker News May 2011 / The Poker Grapevine – Online Poker Bill in the Works
The Poker Grapevine – Online Poker Bill in the Works
Posted by: Mark Baldwing - Thu, 2011-05-26 12:49
Online poker has suffered a series of withering setbacks lately, in the shape of various online poker URL seizures, bank account seizures and indictments directed at some of the top online poker executives. To make a long story short: the storm has pretty much descended over the industry. After the storm though, sunny days are bound to come and even though the situation looks extremely dire right now, rays of hope are already shining through. The industry may never be the same, but in the place of the old online poker status quo, a new, healthier, legalized and regulated industry may spring up, which will offer both players and operators increased security.
The first rays of hope came in the shape of the Nevada Internet poker bill, OKd by the State Assembly a while ago. Nevada legislators have now taken yet another step towards fully legitimate and legal online poker: the Senate Judiciary Committee has just adopted Assembly Bill 258. The goal of the bill is a simple one, one that many experts have been anticipating ever since Black Friday: to put the Las Vegas casinos in a favorable position in case a Federal poker bill is passed. The bill will also give the Nevada gaming commission the ability to grant licenses and to hammer out regulations.
The Governor of Nevada has already signaled that he would support this legislation is case Congress or the DoJ legalized online poker, so it’s pretty much a slam-dunk thing for Nevada, its efficiency only dependant on what Washington lawmakers are able to do on a Federal level.
The first moves in that direction seem to have already been made too. Rep. Joe Barton of Texas ( a Republican, too) is apparently already working with the PPA on a bill he plans to introduce in the near future. Barton defended the game of poker calling it a game of skill and re-stated the fact that current laws regarding the online variant of the game were indeed unenforceable.
