News 22/8/11 – U.S. Online Legislation

August 21 | Posted by admin | News Tags: , , , , , ,

Online Legislation Getting Closer

For followers of the cause of online poker in the United States, momentum appears to growing from several directions.  Individual states are preparing

Online poker getting closer?

themselves for changes in the law – California and Nevada in particular, influential pressure groups such as Fair Play USA and the Poker Players Alliance are making sure they are getting themselves heard and progressive politicians from both camps are supporting the cause.

One of the biggest game changers though may be the setting up of the debt super committee, a committee consisting of 12 members selected from both parties whose job it is is to find $1.5 trillion worth of savings over the next ten years.  It was set up in the wake of the recent Budget Control Act 2011 which raised the US debt ceiling to avoid the nation defaulting on its payments.

The committee will have the ability to create bills that cannot be sidetracked by filibustering or amendments but will instead head straight for a vote in the Senate, then Congress and then on for Presidential approval.  This gives the bill much greater chance of success as it starts life as a bipartisan effort. It is this that has led some commentators to speculate that an online gaming bill would be passed without too much trouble.

The Poker Players Alliance have rated each politician on their likely support of online gaming and an initial glance at the  debt super committee line up doesn’t appear too optimistic but these are desperate financial times and regulating online poker is an easy way to raise a lot of much needed money.

California Pressing For Online Poker

At a state level California is one of those at the forefront of those pushing for new online gaming legislation.  The California legislature has one month left for business this year and the supporters and opponents of the bill are all trying to be heard.  The supporters have released TV and radio ads while the opposition, which consists mainly of land-based casino operators, are saying that this is a bill that should not be rushed through.

As with the nation as a whole, California needs to make budget cuts and to raise revenue in some form.  Legislating online poker is seen as an ideal way to accomplish this.

 

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