Reid Criticized for Failing to Get Poker Bill Passed
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, who had promised the gambling industry of his home state a proper federal online poker bill, somehow failed to keep his promise. Reid, along with Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, might have done its best, but the bill was simply not considered important even in the lame duck session of the Congress late last year although Reid had called the issue of legalizing and regulating online poker at the federal level “most important.” Today, when preparations are being made for the 113th session of the Congress, chances of legalizing online poker at the federal level are more remote than ever.
Reid’s methods of handling this “important” issue are now being questioned. The bill, if passed, would have legalized all forms of online poker gaming, but not any other form of online gambling. Reid’s critics now want to know why Reid antagonized the Republicans by attacking Dean Heller’s efforts to obtain support for GOP. They also wanted to know how Reid and Kyl could agree upon a bill that was sure to anger operators of lottery games, Indian tribes, and other gaming operators in other states. Critics are sure that Reid could have gotten the bill passed last year if he had handled the issue in a proper manner, but Reid never introduced the law formally not because he did not have GOP support, but because the required number of Democrats did not support his bill.
Meanwhile, Kristen Orthman, spokesperson for Senator Harry Reid, said that Reid will make another attempt this year and that “he has sufficient Democratic support.” However, Frank Fahrenkopf, CEO of the American Gaming Association, is not buying this. He says, “Heller and Kyl went to Republican senators, and most of them agreed something had to be done about the problem, but until we see a bill and look at it, we can’t say for certain we’re going to vote for it.” He added that “Sen. Reid had the same problem on the Democratic side.”
According to the gambling industry, the major problem is that the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on Dec 23, 2012 that the Wire Act of 1961 applies only to online sports betting, not to online poker and online casino gaming. Individual US states saw in this re-interpretation an opportunity to upgrade their existing laws and expand their gambling offerings. Several states began considering the pros and cons of legalizing intrastate online gambling.
For example, Delaware passed an online gambling bill that permits the sale of lottery tickets online. New Jersey is waiting for its governor to approve an online poker bill, and US states such as New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois are all seeking to regulate intrastate online gambling.
Meanwhile, several large casino operators, under the leadership of AGA, have demanded a ban on all forms of online gambling, except online poker. They have warned the government that legalizing all forms of online gambling will lead to an online gaming explosion and the fall of America’s existing land casino industry.
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