A Massachusetts state bill that has been in the works for nearly a year and a half looks to be moving forward once again, this time with clauses deep in the bill that would criminalize online poker and gaming removed from its language.
The bill, called HR 3954 and titled “Act Establishing and Regulating Resort Casinos in the Commonwealth,” was introduced by Governor Deval Patrick in late 2007 and intended to alleviate the flow of state money to the gambling arenas of Atlantic City and Connecticut, where Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are located. Governor Patrick’s bill called for the creation of three resort-style casinos in the state, but also contained language deep in the proposed law that aroused the passions of online poker players across the United States.
Language in the original bill called for the criminalization of online gaming and poker, with punishments ranging from a fine of up to $25,000 and/or two years in prison. Massachusetts state Senator Michael Morrisey attempted to get the bill tacked onto other legislation that was up for approval in November of 2007, but this was not allowed by the Senate President, Therese Murray, who roundly criticized the UIGEA-style attachment as “out of order.”
Since that attempt, the bill has continued to be criticized for the language banning online gaming and poker. The Poker Players Alliance has been a force in attempting to change the wording of the bill and, through the efforts of many of its Massachusetts members, had forced the bill into legislative limbo. The actions of two representatives on Friday may be moving the bill towards consideration, however.
Two Democratic representatives to the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the legislative assembly for the state), Brian Wallace (D-4 Suffolk) and Martin Walsh (D-13 Suffolk) are looking to get the bill enacted into law, but only if the clause that bans Internet gaming is removed from the bill’s language. The Poker Players Alliance has been at the forefront of the efforts to get the bill changed.
John Pappas, the Executive Director of the PPA, said to Poker News Daily, “The story behind this bill has been a very interesting case. When the bill came back to life last week, many of the representatives didn’t know this language was still in it. Through the grassroots efforts of our membership in Massachusetts, the legislature discovered the statements regarding the criminalization of online poker. Within eight hours, the representatives either e-mailed or called people who spoke up about it and said they would not be putting the legislation through with that language still in the bill.”
“It goes to show you how the efforts of the members of the Poker Players Alliance are working,” Pappas concluded. He also stated that there could be other proposals regarding the state’s gaming situation that the General Court would be looking at, along with the current legislation, and that the PPA would be “keeping an eye on further activity in Massachusetts regarding this case.”
The Bill is HR 4307 not HR 3954