Online Poker One Of 25 'Thorny' Issues In Lame-Duck Session: The Hill

It may be gloomy on Capitol Hill at the moment, but there could be some light shinning through the clouds for an online poker attempt to at least be seriously considered.

It was better for gamblers that President Obama was re-elected, as the lame-duck session has a greater chance, although maybe still negligible, of producing a poker result. The Hill mentioned web poker in its list of 25 “thorny” issues facing Congress in the coming weeks.

An online poker proposal from the mental caverns of Nevada Senator Harry Reid (Democrat), a defender of his state’s dominant industry, and Arizona Senator Jon Kyl (Republican), a one-time online poker foe, is in the works. Kyl will be retiring in January.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) has a stagnant plan for web poker in the House.

While stand-alone legislation exists, some think that web poker would need to be a part of an omnibus bill, addressing a more important issue, in order to have any chance of passage. Many in power still think the very idea of online gambling is a rotten one.

Casino interests from Reid’s Nevada want a federal bill, but some other states and lotteries loathe his proposal. In any case, online gambling is already inching forward on a state level and doesn’t need a federal regime in order to take shape as an industry.

The Obama administration leans toward having web poker be a state-level problem.

Follow Brian Pempus on Twitter — @brianpempus

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