I can always count on the APCW to keep me updated about issues and shenanigans related to the affiliate side of the poker (and general online gambling) industry … and in this week\’s episode of Perspectives Weekly, J. Todd gives what I think is one of the best, most concise summaries of the UIGEA storyline — from 2006 to 2010 — and where that leaves us today:
I agree with just about everything he says in his analysis here. If all stories have a beginning, middle, and end, you can see why he believes (as do I) that we are clearly in Part 3 … and that the law we\’ve long bawked about really is on its way out by no later than October 2011.
Specifically, more than $5 million already spent lobbying in 2010 is a big sign that efforts to undo the UIGEA have some serious juice behind them. That and Harrah\’s — originally a Bill Frist supporter that helped fund the UIGEA — switching teams to push online gambling efforts … but only after June 1!
To put $5 million of lobbying bones in perspective, you can see that it hardly makes the Casino/Gambling industry a top spender. And if you equate dollars to influence, we\’re just a fraction of the health care industry; but about 1/5 of what Education and Hollywood are, and 1/6 of how big the \”computers/internet\” industry is. (Hmm, might be nice to get some help from those guys.) But still, the casino/gambling industry is on pace to surpass spending in 2008, and blow away 2006 and even 2004, where they had to spend so little with the anti-gambling moralists doing the American casino industry\’s dirty work.
Of course the wildcard in all this is Harry Reid, who may or may not be on borrowed time in Bill Frist\’s former position.