Poker Legislation News
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. Read more »
On Friday, it was revealed that a Pennsylvania ruling by Judge Thomas James that poker is a game of skill will be appealed to the state's Superior Court, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper. Read more »
In a form letter issued by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) to President Barack Obama for members to fill out, it was revealed that legalizing and regulating online poker finished 11th overall in the Citizen's Briefing Book. In terms of the number of comments logged, the issue landed in second place. Read more »
On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law held a hearing entitled "Midnight Rulemaking: Shedding Some Light." The goal was to examine the impact and possible remedies for midnight rules. Read more »
In an interview with the Financial Times this week, it was revealed that Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) will reintroduce legislation favorable to internet gambling "in the next few weeks." During the previous Congress, Frank introduced HR 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act. Read more »
On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law will hold a hearing entitled, "Midnight Rulemaking: Shedding Some Light." The significance for online poker players is that one of the first items to be discussed is HR 34, the Midnight Rule Act, which could potentially undo the regulations of the UIGEA. Read more »
In the January 27th edition of Capitol Hill publication Roll Call, a familiar name and face spoke out about the importance of legalizing and regulating online poker in the United States. The piece, entitled, "The New Deal: Regulate and Tax iPoker," was authored by Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Chairman Alfonse D'Amato, a former three-term Senator from the state of New York. Read more »
Following recent successes in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, the legality of poker as a game of skill will once again be the center of attention of court proceedings. This time, the focus will be on the state of South Carolina, where one college student's fate rests on whether poker is a game of skill. Read more »
The third ruling favorable to online poker in 2009 came down this week, this time in the state of Colorado. In a case that pitted Kevin Raley against the State for operating a poker league, a jury found Raley not guilty of illegal gambling. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), which boasts 13,000 members in the state, commented on the victorious ruling. Read more »
To say that it has been an eventful week for the internet gambling and online poker industries would be an enormous understatement. Poker News Daily took the pulse of the online poker industry to gauge its reaction to the recent ruling and appeal in Kentucky. Read more »
The internet gambling industry didn't have to wait long to find out the next step in the case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names. Poker News Daily has obtained the Notice of Appeal filed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The matter may now head to the State Supreme Court. Read more »
The beginning of this year has brought a plethora of good news for poker players overall. The decision of a Pennsylvania court that poker is a game of skill has reopened the doors to the question of whether poker is gambling. Read more »
It was inauguration day in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Millions descended in celebration of the newly-elected President. In Kentucky, the online gaming world rejoiced, as the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names was blocked by a three judge Court of Appeals panel. Read more »
The UIGEA, approved as part of George Bush's so-called "midnight drop," comes into effect today and is meant to be implemented by financial entities no later than December 1st unless it is repealed before that. The American Banking Association dreads the extra burden this will place on the already stressed American banking system. Read more »
In Friday's confirmation hearing of Eric Holder, the nominee for Attorney General of the United States, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, a proponent of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), asked the candidate about his stance on internet gambling in the United States. Read more »
In a ruling handed down by Pennsylvania Judge Thomas A. James Jr. in Columbia County on Friday, it was ruled that Texas Hold'em is a game of skill and therefore not gambling under state law. The ruling sets an "excellent bar" for future poker litigation, according to Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas. Read more »
This week, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the main lobbying group for the online poker industry, distributed an important e-mail to its membership. The message urged its 1.2 million members to tell incoming President-elect Barack Obama that legalization and regulation of online poker are of the utmost importance. Read more »
On Monday, January 19th, the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will be enacted. The new rules were part of last-minute "midnight rule-making" by the outgoing Bush Administration. Recently, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the Midnight Rule Act to prohibit controversial agendas from being pushed through in the future. Read more »
In November, the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) filed its response brief in a legal challenge to declare the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) unconstitutional. On Thursday, the organization announced that it had been contacted by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals about its availability in April. Read more »
The outlying islands of Taiwan will now be open to legal land-based gambling, according to Bloomberg. However, its mainland will remain inaccessible to companies such as MGM Grand and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Previously, gambling anywhere in Taiwan was not permitted. Read more »
According to the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper, Utah State Representative Sheryl Allen (R-Bountiful) is seeking to introduce House Resolution 1, which asserts that the decision whether or not to adopt gambling should belong solely to the states. While Utah has managed to stunt land-based forms of gambling, Allen told the Tribune, "Computers made it much easier to gamble." Read more »
In Kentucky, a case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names has the potential to set a precedent hundreds of miles east as well as around the world. The way that the State of New York may handle disputes with online retailer Amazon as well as iTunes distributor Apple could hinge on the outcome of the case in the Bluegrass State. Read more »
In his latest blog posted on DoylesRoom.com, the online poker room's namesake lashed out at Party Gaming Co-Founder Anurag Dikshit, who recently struck a $300 million agreement with the United States Federal Government, admitting breaking the law in the process. Read more »
Last week saw Party Gaming Co-Founder Anurag Dikshit admit wrongdoing under the Wire Act of 1961. He agreed to pay $300 million to United States Federal authorities in the process, $100 million of which has already been turned over. A review of the filing against Dikshit reveals that online poker was specifically named in the case. Read more »
There have been several major organizations that have filed briefs in the ongoing legal battle in Kentucky, each looking to impart its unique viewpoints on the court. Among them is the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, which submitted a 15 page brief outlining its opinion of the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names. Read more »
