Home / Poker News December 2011 / What Exactly Do the NGC Regulations Mean for Online Poker?
What Exactly Do the NGC Regulations Mean for Online Poker?
Posted by: Randy Williams - Thu, 2011-12-29 16:18
Because of the
online poker regulations passed by the Nevada Gambling Commission, legal online poker is now certain to make its debut in the US in 2012. The regulations will definitely represent a solid starting point for any such future regulation in other US jurisdictions, but currently it is unclear whether they’ll only be used within the state of Nevada, within several states under Nevada’s umbrella or as part of a nation-wide framework.
One thing seems certain though: Nevada intends to become the center of the legal online poker universe, regardless of what shape it ends up taking.
Some of the biggest live gambling operators have already applied for a Nevada license: Boyd Gaming and Caesars Entertainment are among those set to receive a license although regardless of the form in which they’ll offer their online poker services, they will probably not be able to do so until at least the second half of the next year.
The license approval process is likely to only take 90 days for operators that already possess a Nevada gaming license. Setting up the system and making sure the regulations are indeed in full effect will take much longer than that.
How exactly would a nation-wise regulatory framework based on Nevada laws work? Once federal law is passed regarding the legal status of online poker, regulators will have to come forth. These will be the states or the various Indian tribes. While some states, like California and New Jersey, where efforts to legalize online poker are already underway, may want to stick to their own regulations, the majority of the states are likely to allow Nevada to oversee poker under their jurisdictions.
According to PPA Chairman John Pappas, for many of the states, it will be too bothersome to handle regulation when and if federal legislation is passed, therefore they’re likely to conclude that what works for Nevada will work just as well for them.
