Poker Legislation News
One of last year’s victories for poker was muted a bit Tuesday when the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York overturned a judge’s ruling that a New York man was not guilty of operating an illegal gambling business. As a result, Lawrence Dicristina is facing up to 10 years in prison. The… Read more »
The hottest ticket going right now in online gaming is one that may permit entry into the New Jersey market. On Tuesday, the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) confirmed that 37 applications for internet gambling licenses have been received and an initial review has been completed. In a statement originally published by Bloomberg, DGE… Read more »
Greece’s Commission for the Supervision and Control of Games (CSCG), a division of the Hellenic Gaming Commission, has published a 401-member blacklist of online gambling sites that will supposedly be prohibited from operating in the Mediterranean nation. The list will be sent to Greek internet service providers, who will be instructed to deny subscribers’ access… Read more »
On Wednesday, internet gaming and poker was once again in the spotlight on Capitol Hill. In the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, the chairman of the subcommittee, called the hearing yesterday morning for discussion of the issue of online gaming. The hearing, entitled “The Expansion of Internet… Read more »
As expected following the Fourth of July Congressional recess, Texas Representative Joe Barton has reintroduced his online poker legislation to the House of Representatives, joining another bill for consideration by the body. Entitled HR 2666, the “Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013,” Barton is looking to take his second shot at passing legislation for the… Read more »
If you’ve been living under a rock – or traversing the cavernous enclaves known as the World Series of Poker playing arenas – you might have missed some of the poker news that has been going on since the start of the WSOP. In today’s edition of “In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)” we’ll take… Read more »
With one site online with its 30-day trial and a host of others waiting in the wings, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval commented to Nevada media that he has already held preliminary talks with other states for compacts to expand the player pool. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Howard Stutz, Sandoval admitted Thursday that he… Read more »
A bill that would shut down social poker rooms in Oregon had its preliminary debates earlier this week, with both sides of the situation showing up in force to discuss that legislation. The Oregonian’s Harry Esteve, who originally wrote about the proposed legislation in April, states that the sponsor of the bill, Republican Representative Julie… Read more »
The opening of the first regulated online gaming site in the United States has drawn a great deal of attention across the country. When Ultimate Poker let the virtual cards fly on Tuesday under the auspices of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and its intrastate regulations, it was seen as a landmark moment for online… Read more »
While different states have either moved forward with regulation of the online gaming and poker industries (or have tried and failed), the federal government has largely been quiet on the issue since the end of 2012. That may change with proposed legislation from one of New York’s most well-known and respected members of the House… Read more »
While much of the attention of the poker community is currently on the drive of several states towards legalization and regulation of online poker, there are fights that are being waged in some states that might affect live poker games. A recent bill in the Oregon legislature is an example of this type of attack.… Read more »
On Monday, Pennsylvania State Representative Tina Davis (D – Levittown) introduced House Bill 1235 which would amend Title 4 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to legalize and regulate internet gaming. HB 1235 has several co-sponsors already, including Representatives Thomas Caltagirone, Rosita Youngblood, Dom Costa, William Kortz, Vanessa Brown, RoseMarie Swanger, Mark Cohen, Ed Neilson, George… Read more »
Like many state governments across the United States, the state of Massachusetts is currently preparing its budget for the upcoming year. As a part of those budget negotiations, the state is looking to potentially open its borders to online poker, but those proposals would prohibit some companies from applying for a license. Back in February,… Read more »
Amid the flurry of activity over the past year or so with online gaming and poker, there have been some success stories. The moves by Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey to enact online regulations for the industry (in Delaware and New Jersey’s cases for full online gaming and Nevada’s online poker only laws) have been… Read more »
After being passed by the Illinois House of Representatives and the Senate and being sent to his office, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is refusing to act on the bill due to a dispute with the General Assembly over pension reform in the state. Last week, the Illinois General Assembly passed a sweeping bill that would… Read more »
In 2006, Washington State ruffled feathers in the poker world by criminalizing online poker, making those who play the game on the internet Class C felons, the same as third degree child rapists. Someone playing a little game of Hold’em could face up to five years in prison. It is a terrible law, one which… Read more »
The Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) granted interactive gaming licenses to 888 U.S. Limited and Treasure Island LLC last week, bringing the launch of the first legal intrastate online poker site in the United States just a bit closer to a reality. These two licenses were not unexpected. The companies had already been recommended for approval… Read more »
Across the United States, there are several state legislatures that are examining the issue of online gaming and poker. In Florida, however, a proposed bill may have the undue effect of shutting online poker down rather than opening it up to citizens of the Sunshine State. Last week, the Florida State House of Representatives passed… Read more »
A month ago, the Nevada legislature unanimously passed Assembly Bill 114, which amended the state’s online gaming laws to allow the Governor to enter into interstate poker compacts. Governor Brian Sandoval quickly signed the measure, meaning once poker sites get up and running in the Silver State, they will be allowed to accept customers from… Read more »
With all the news lately about states passing, working on, or killing online poker legislation, one bit of news out of Texas has been largely ignored. Back on March 5th, State Senator Leticia Van de Putte filed Senate Joint Resolution 43, an amendment to the state constitution which would allow for online poker should the… Read more »
Less than a week after the American Gaming Association (AGA) filed a brief with the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and Division of Gaming Enforcement opposing the Rational Group’s application for an Interim Casino Authorization (ICA) in the state, the parent company of PokerStars has struck back. On Sunday, Rational Group responded with a letter… Read more »
The effects of a newly passed bill in an Illinois Senate committee are already being felt as a key Illinois newspaper has changed its position regarding the future of gaming in the state. The Editorial Staff of the State Journal-Register, the major paper for the capital city of Springfield, IL, started off their editorial on… Read more »
For the third time in as many years, an Illinois Senate committee has passed an expansion of casino gaming in the state, but this time it has a caveat: online gaming and poker is a part of the bill. The new legislation, SB1739, is virtually the same bill that has been introduced in the Illinois… Read more »
You would think that the state that lends its name to Texas Hold’em, the most popular poker variation going, would be extremely poker-friendly. Alas, it is not. Good luck finding a game. The only casino in the state is the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino, located on the Rio Grande about a two and a half… Read more »
On Monday, the American Gaming Association (AGA), a lobbying organization for the commercial casino industry in the United States, filed a brief with both the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and Division of Gaming Enforcement, urging them to deny Rational Group’s application for an Interim Casino Authorization (ICA). Rational Group, the parent company of PokerStars,… Read more »
