White House Responds to Online Poker Petition. Michael Jones : May 20th, 2012 Poker players who signed an online petition about online poker in the United States this week received a response from the White House on the issue this week.
In a response titled “What We Have to Say About Online Poker,” Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, outlines the position of the administration of President Barack Obama on online poker. The response is what many expected in an election year in the U.S. — keeping doors open for legislation that would regulate online poker, but stopping short of endorsing any such legislation. The response appears below: Fraternal Order of the Police Supports Online Poker Regulation. April 03 2012 , Matthew Kredell , which lobbies Congress on behalf of 330,000 law-enforcement officers, sent a letter to leadership of the U.S.
Senate and House of Representatives last week asking for federal action to create a strong regulatory framework for legal Internet gaming to protect U.S. consumers and provide law enforcement the tools necessary to put offshore sites out of business. The letter was signed by FOP president and addressed to , , and . Top U.S. Gaming Lobby to Push for Online Poker Regulation in 2012. Michael Jones : March 13th, 2012 In a bit of good news for online poker players in the United States, the American Gaming Association announced recently that it wants to advance regulation of online poker and gambling this year.
AGA President and CEO Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. delivered a speech last week, in which he said the top gaming lobby in the U.S. wants to advance efforts on the regulation front. PPA Rebukes Romney's Stance Against Online Poker. Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has denounced Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s opposition to online poker as being unaware and misinformed regarding safeguards that will be put in place in any upcoming internet poker legislation designed to protect consumers and players with addictions to gambling.
Romney espoused his anti-online poker beliefs by recently telling a Las Vegas TV station that he cannot support regulated online poker in the U.S. “because of the social costs and people’s addictive gambling habits.” As the current Republican leader ahead of Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul in recent Gallup polls, the main lobbying group on behalf of poker players expressed concern that Romney was perhaps not properly educated in terms of the direction internet poker legislation was headed. “Governor Romney’s statement seems to be based on a misperception of regulation and the status quo,” said PPA Executive Director John Pappas. Newt Gingrich Better Choice for Gamblers. Following the Florida primary it’s evident that only two candidates have a legitimate shot at winning the Republican nomination.
Mitt Romney is the clear front runner while Newt Gingrich is second. Rick Santorum who won in Iowa can take his lone delegate and drop out, as he has little support from anyone other than the extreme religious right and Ron Paul has no chance to win the nomination. Unlike Santorum, however, Paul could prove beneficial to the other candidates if they choose to give him a key position in exchange for his support. Paul is a media darling and is the favorite among younger voters.
Moreover, his billing as one of the heads of the Tea Party could win him favor with Republicans who want a return to fiscal conservatism. Can online gaming influence a US presidential election? 16 January 2012Last updated at 18:29 By Kate Dailey BBC News Magazine Engage President Patrick Ruffini explains how political gamification and Multiply engage voters in a social media world First came Farmville.
Then came FourSquare. But can games played online actually shape an election? Political games have been around as long as politics. Gamification sounds like the latest in high-tech digital campaigning. "Gamification is taking the rules of games - whether it's levelling, prizes [or] achievements - and the psychology of playing games and applying it to something that doesn't have that dynamic," says Peter Corbett, CEO of iStrategiesLab, a Washington DC-based interactive firm. Consider FourSquare - the social media app asks users to "check in" at their current location using geotagging software. In exchange, businesses lure patrons with FourSquare-specific specials and use FourSquare's data to learn about their customer base. 'Changed behaviour'
Online Gaming Pressure Mounting on Feds (BYD, MGM) Pressure is mounting on Congress to legalize and regulate online gaming in the very near future.
But the pressure isn't coming from gaming companies or poker players. If Congress does act soon, it will be pressure from states that are working to regulate and tax online gaming themselves that forces it to act. States vs. FedsRight now states like Nevada, New Jersey, Iowa, and others are getting ready to pass legislation to legalize and regulate online poker and lotteries. With 51 (including Washington, DC) potential sets of rules and tax structures, the pressure is on Congress to pass a bill that would regulate gaming on a federal level. This isn't the forum for a state versus federal jurisdiction debate, but I will take time to point out whom each side will benefit. Las Vegas giants Wynn Resorts (Nasdaq: WYNN ) and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS ) would be players as well but the impact won't be as big as companies with more casino offerings.
Harry Reid offering hope for Internet poker. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen.
Harry Reid, D-Nev., has given online poker players fresh hope for federal legislation that would legalize their games. Reid told a reporter for a gaming news service that the Department of Justice ruling that has some states angling to operate poker websites will also impel Congress to get moving on a bill to set regulations at the federal level. “It’ll give us an incentive to get something done,” Reid told Gambling Compliance website reporter Tony Batt, who camped outside NBC studios in Washington while the Senate majority leader was taping “Meet the Press” last Sunday. Batt previously wrote about gaming policy from Washington for the Review-Journal. “We cannot have a series of laws around the country related to gaming,” Reid said.
Reid told Batt he was “making progress” with negotiating partner Sen. PPA: Payroll Tax Bill Probably Not the Vehicle for Online Poker. Rumors have been flying around the online poker community over the last few weeks that have centered on pro-online poker legislation being tacked onto a possible extension of the payroll tax cut.
On Tuesday, Reuters reported that a deal to extend the tax break for a year was nearing completion: "House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, and his lieutenants paved the way for a deal on Monday by backing down on the long-held Republican demand that the payroll tax cuts be offset with spending cuts. " It's been a long-held belief that legislation legalizing and regulating internet gambling, which could generate up to $40 billion over a 10-year period, could be a way to pay for extending the payroll tax cut or fund another measure. Harry Reid Says No Online Poker in Payroll Legislation. February 16, 2012 American politicians have reportedly reached a deal to pass payroll tax and unemployment benefits extension legislation before taking all next week off to celebrate the one-day Presidents Day holiday.
The Gambling Law News. Will Congress hold 'em or fold 'em on Net gambling? - David Saleh Rauf. Las Vegas Casinos like Caesars and MGM are fighting for a federal bill because it would be easier for their brand name sites to penetrate a larger share of one, national market.
And Nevada, which supports efforts on the Hill for a national bill, stands as the only state currently prepared to issue licenses for online gaming under federal legislation. Nevada is eyeing the fall as a tentative launch for its Internet-poker only system, though officials say that’s dependent on what happens with federal legislation. Continue Reading The gaming movement has also been stepping up its activities recently, hiring on former lawmakers, like ex-Sen. Al D’Amato (R-N.Y.). The PPA spent $1.1 million on lobbying during the first nine months of 2011, according to Senate lobbying reports. Online poker seen folding its hand until 2013 - Business. A Wall Street gaming analyst told investors Friday that debate over federal legislation that would legalize Internet poker has most likely been pushed into 2013 after lawmakers didn't attach an online gaming bill to the payroll tax cut extension.
However, Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Chad Beynon said in a research report that Nevada stands to benefit from the inaction because it may be the only state that allows Americans to gamble online this year. Earlier this week, Nevada gaming regulators finalized the state's minimum internal control standards for interactive gaming, which could become effective in a month. "We think the standards were written in a way that will allow for small adjustments as the process moves forward," Beynon told investors. "At this point, no firm date has been set, but 13 companies have now submitted for an operating license. " On Thursday, Sen. Top-10 U.S. online gaming stories to watch in 2012. The biggest topic in the gambling industry right now is when is the U.S. going to license and regulate online poker (and in some instances, online gambling).
It is the number one topic of conversation among industry professionals, at industry conferences and at bars during industry conferences. With that in mind, I've outlined the top stories to watch next year when it comes to licensing and regulating online gaming in the U.S. 10. Lotto chiefs In many states, passing online gaming legislation involves more than getting commercial casinos, card rooms and Indian casinos to agree on legislation (and convincing Caesars Entertainment not to oppose the issue). State lotteries, which generate about a billion dollars in revenue (nationally) in revenue for state governments, are popular programs. Opposition from lottery officials tend to take two forms: 1. 2. Top-10 ways the industry could screw up online gaming in the U.S.
Two days before Christmas, the Department of Justice handed the gambling industry a gift when it reversed its stance on the Wire Act and decided intrastate non-sports related gambling was legal. Online Gaming Loses Obstacle at Justice Department. Breaking: Department of Justice Adjusts Stance on Internet Poker. On Friday, the Department of Justice publicly released a legal opinion that offered clarification on the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 — a federal law that has complicated efforts to legalize Internet poker. The 13-page document dated Sept. 20, 2011, says the correct interpretation is that the law only prohibits sports betting. The Wire Act was once interpreted as outlawing all forms of gambling across state lines, and was used by the DOJ in its prosecution of the operators of online poker sites.
One of the causalities of the Wire Act was Anurag Dikshit, co-founder of then PartyGaming, who reached a $300 settlement with the DOJ in 2008 for violating its provisions. The Internet gaming company subsequently left the U.S. market, but is now eying a return via a partnership with Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts. Despite Nevada making substantial progress toward intrastate online poker, the memo was in response to New York and Illinois seeking to use the Internet for lottery sales. Anthony Cabot. States Cleared for Online Bets. 2366. Bill would make online gaming up to states. House Committee Holds Internet Gambling Hearing; Overall Message Positive. On Tuesday, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing on online gambling entitled “Internet Gaming: Is There a Safe Bet?”
Expansion of Net Gambling Worries Indian Tribes. Senate Indian Affairs Committee Talks Online Gambling. February 10, 2012. Senate Hearing On Online Poker and Gambling Concludes. The United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held its second hearing on internet gambling in slightly less than three months, this time focusing on the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) opinion released in December that interpreted the 1961 Wire Act as applying only to sports wagering and how that would effect Indian tribes and their gambling interests.
A Look at a Future U.S. Online Poker Market - Poker News. News: The US Poker Market: Past, Present, and Future. 24 Nov 11.