Venture Bets On Online Gambling Future

U.S. Digital Gaming, a venture backed by prominent casino executives, is moving ahead with its business plan in the hopes that onlinegambling will become legal in the U.S. Alexandra Berzon has the story.

Whats Next For Online Poker Players?

According to the Poker Players Alliance, there are 50,000 professional poker players now looking for jobs as a result of the shutdown. Not surprisingly, some are talking about moving overseas, where online poker is legal, in order to earn their living. Since studies have shown that many online poker players are young without families of their own and can therefore move more easily, there is reason to believe that at least some players will follow through on this. The PokerStars Q&A section has even addressed this topic, advising players that their accounts will be reactivated if they can provide proof of residency outside the United States. However, players must permanently relocate in order to play. American players merely traveling outside of the United States are not permitted to play from abroad.

After the shutdown, poker players do have other options available to play. However, `none is as secure and convenient as the affected websites which had earned such trust and massive player followings. Players hope for the return of those sites even as the government pushes them toward riskier options.

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Bill Brewing to Legalize Internet Poker

June 21, 2011

If Rep. Joe Barton had his way, it would be legal for Americans to bet money on online poker.

The Texas Republican, senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and an avid poker player, is readying a bill that would legalize online poker and create a new federal regulatory agency to oversee the websites.

But Barton isn't the only lawmaker pushing the issue on the federal level. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., will reintroduce legislation to tax licensed Internet gaming in the United States. His measure is a companion to legislation introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., that would legalize and regulate online gambling.

"Legalizing, regulating and taxing Internet gambling just makes sense," McDermott said. "Right now, the U.S. loses billion of dollars to off-shore gambling and illegal gambling rings because of an unrealistic and virtually unenforceable policy."

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

EU Court of Justice rules that national gambling monopolies must be regulated in a consistent and systematic manner and that sanctions cannot discriminate between local and international providers

The ECJ confirmed in all cases its case law that EU member states have wide discretion to regulate their local markets by means of monopolies and to protect their citizens against risks associated with games of chance. As a consequence, they are not obliged to recognize licenses for the provision of games of chance granted by other member states. However, if they regulate games of chance by means of granting monopolies, they must do so in a manner proportionate to the public policy objectives pursued and in a non-discriminatory fashion.

PPA Calls on Congress to Put Americans’ Priorities First During Today’s House Financial Services Markup on Internet Poker Bill

Washington, DC (July 27, 2010) – John Pappas, Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, released the following statement in advance of today's House Financial Services Committee markup on H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act.