Passage of federal Internet poker legislation during Congress’ upcoming lame duck session will “take a little bit of gamblers luck,” the casino industry’s chief Washington, D.C., lobbyist said Tuesday in Las Vegas.
American Gaming Association President Frank Fahrenkopf Jr. said legalizing Internet poker in the U.S. continues to be an overriding issue for the casino industry, which officially kicked off the Global Gaming Expo at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. The four-day conference and trade show is the industry’s largest annual meeting.
Fahrenkopf, whose organization co-produces G2E with Reed Exhibitions, said Internet poker legalization is the most talked about subject among the gaming community. Most of the major casino companies and gaming equipment manufacturers have taken initial steps to jump into a legalized American Internet poker market.
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As you have likely heard, there has been widespread discussion regarding online poker legislation on Capitol Hill. Having poker legislation under serious consideration on the Hill is certainly great news; it shows just how much our efforts as a community in advocating for our rights are paying off!
I am glad we are all doing our part to be heard. Given that the House of Representatives voted to ban online poker in 2006 by 317-93 (that bill, the freestanding HR 4411, was watered down in the Senate backrooms and emerged attached to the SAFE Ports Act as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), having Congress considering any legislation to authorize online poker is obviously a huge, almost unprecedented turnaround.
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WASHINGTON – A rift between Nevada’s senators widened Monday over a high-stakes bill that would clear the way for Nevada casinos to offer legal online poker to gamblers nationwide.
The split between Sens. Harry Reid and Dean Heller elevates the already steep odds that Congress could pass a lucrative yet controversial gaming bill in the waning days of this year’s session.
Reid, the Democratic Senate majority leader, has readied an online poker bill and has been seeking a way to get it passed, even as Senate officials acknowledge it is 15 votes or so short of the necessary majority.
Reid had set a deadline of Monday to see whether enough votes could be gathered for the bill to move in the less than three weeks remaining before Congress recesses for the November elections. It is expected to return for a lame-duck session after Election Day.
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If California lawmakers pass a controversial gambling measure now under consideration in Sacramento, the Golden State will join New Jersey in a bicoastal effort to overturn a 20-year-old partial federal ban on sports wagering.
The measure would legalize sports betting at licensed gaming establishments such as tribal casinos and racetracks, including those at Del Mar and Santa Anita.
“The bill is still alive,” said Paul Donahue, a consultant for California state Sen. Roderick Wright, D-Inglewood, who authored the measure.
“Wright authored the bill because he believes California residents should be able to wager on sports,” Donahue said. “Another reason was to help the horse racing industry, card rooms, tribal casinos and generate revenue for the state.”
NO FEAR OF COMPETITION
Federal law prohibits sports betting in 46 states. California residents who want to place a bet on sports now must do it illegally or travel to Nevada where it’s legal to operate a race and sport book.
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