News

Thursday, 07 April 2011 03:32

Despite the hopes of many online poker players, Iowa lawmakers have effectively killed off their bid to become the first state in the US to make it legal.

While legislators confirmed they intend to keep working on the bill designed to make Internet poker legal in Iowa, there is no likelihood it can go forward, at least not as it stands. Waterloo Democrat Senator Bill Dotzler has said that a lot more time needs to pass before the legislature will approve the legalisation of online poker. The bill, which has much support from legislators in the state, has already passed one Senate committee. Unfortunately, their argument that the state has the chance to bring order from the current chaotic and unregulated system and channel the money into their own coffers that is currently going to foreign operators has largely fallen on deaf ears.

The idea for the legalisation of online poker in the state is in the right place. Supporters are saying that Iowa residents would be able to create accounts with existing casinos that are already licensed by the state. They would then verify their citizenship by supplying their social security number and home address. The casinos would then be able to collect a portion of the money that is wagered and that percentage would be taxed.

Senate State Government Committee Chairman Senator Jeff Danielson said that lawmakers were not in agreement over the bill and therefore it will need to be amended requesting Iowa's Racing and Gaming Commission to produce a report. He added that he thinks people are not quite ready to legalise it in this session and they need to see the evidence clarified better. Giving the best information they possibly can as they go into the next year is seen as the way forward.

It is perhaps no great surprise with a similar bill already having stalled in New Jersey. Nevada, Florida and California are all considering similar bills to allow intrastate online gambling, but there is already mounting pressure against it from Navada's big casino companies, instead favouring legalisation at federal level. Danielson said that if a clearer picture could be given to legislators of just how many Iowans currently play online poker illegally, it would be more likely they would see things in a more positive light.

Dotzler said while all the arguments in favour of making online poker legal are strong and compelling, he is still unsurprised the bill didn't get through first time around. He said that bills carrying this amount of significance can sometimes be two to three years garnering support.