2011
Proposed Gaming Bill Could Make Nevada First to Legalize Internet Poker
Nevada, long an innovator when it comes to gambling, may soon take another big step in that direction by becoming the first state to legalize online poker.
A bill just introduced in that state’s legislature would require the state’s Gaming Commission to license operators of Internet poker as long as they meet basic standards regarding financial controls, anti-cheating provisions, and the like.
This may be just the turning point that we and other advocates of online gaming have been looking for. First, the bill specifically says that existing i-gaming companies can’t be denied a poker license in Nevada just because they operate unlicensed operations now. That provision would likely keep the current market leaders at the top of the Nevada market, if the bill passes.
Second, the bill would allow the Nevada gaming commission to enter into agreements with other jurisdictions that permit online poker. These “compacts” would permit games and poker pots to be shared among these jurisdictions. That would bring in a lot of new players who don’t live in Nevada.
Other states like New Jersey and Iowa, as well as the District of Columbia, have been looking closely at Internet poker as well. But if Nevada, with the gambling infrastructure that it already has in place, become the first in this arena, the floodgates could open for legal online poker in many other states.
The passage of this bill would help some of the stragglers in Nevada’s casino industry and would permit millions of Americans to play poker (which, incidentally, the bill defines as a game “in which success over the long term is determined by the skill of the player”) on a legal and corruption-free basis.
In addition, legislation in Nevada, which is regarded as a thought leader in the gambling arena, may be able to give some momentum to federal legislation of the type that was proposed late last year by that state’s senior senator, Harry Reid.
It’s about time for action on online poker. Let’s hope the bill moves forward quickly.
About Ifrah Law
Crime in the Suites is authored by the Ifrah Law Firm, a Washington DC-based law firm specializing in the defense of government investigations and litigation. Our client base spans many regulated industries, particularly e-business, e-commerce, government contracts, gaming and healthcare.
Ifrah Law specializes in federal criminal defense, government contract defense and procurement, healthcare, and financial services litigation and fraud defense. Further, the firm's E-Commerce attorneys and internet marketing attorneys are leaders in internet advertising, data privacy, online fraud and abuse law, iGaming law.
The commentary and cases included in this blog are contributed by founding partner Jeff Ifrah, partners Michelle Cohen, David Deitch, and Tim Hyland, and associates Rachel Hirsch, Jeff Hamlin, Steven Eichorn, Sarah Coffey, Nicole Kardell, Riva Parker, Casselle Smith, and Griffin Finan. These posts are edited by Jeff Ifrah and Jonathan Groner, the former managing editor of the Legal Times. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments!
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What a deal lets get her done!!!!!
What a deal lets get her done!!
[...] 10:14pm) in reply to ShyGuy03533 http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/…e-poker-196701 http://crimeinthesuites.com/proposed…nternet-poker/ 361 11 [...]
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[...] Read the full post here on the Crime in the Suites blog. [...]
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