Senator Harry Reid Tries to Legalize Online Poker
Efforts by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) to legalize online poker in the United States may have run their course. A tax cut bill prepared for the lame duck Congress does not include the proposed legislation due to expected opposition by the Republican Party.
Critics say Reid was acting on behalf of Las Vegas-based casino operators who helped finance his recent reelection campaign. While efforts to legalize online poker on the federal level may be folding, New Jersey and California are moving on their own and may regulate online poker very soon.
After a week of heated buzz in the poker industry, it appears that the 74-page tax cut bill proposed by Senator Reid for congressional approval by the end of the year will not include a clause which would legalize and tax online poker.
Reid confirmed that he is working on legislation to legalize online poker, stating that it “would get our collective heads out of the sand and create a strict regulatory environment to protect U.S. consumers, prevent underage gambling, and respect the decisions of states that don’t allow gambling.”
Even if Reid’s original proposal were enacted into law, it wouldn’t satisfy all online poker players. According to media reports, the proposed legislation would only grant licenses to existing casino operators, such as Harrah’s, now known as Caesars Entertainment Corp., and MGM Resorts International, both of which helped finance Reid’s recent campaign. Other gaming companies would need to wait as much as two or three years to obtain a license, the reports said.
Meanwhile, the State of New Jersey may vote early next week on bills that would regulate online poker for residents of the state. The California legislature is also debating a proposed bill which would offer licenses for online poker in that state.
Tags: online poker
