Since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was signed into law by the Bush administration in October 2006, there have been moves by several politicians and organizations to create new laws.

These new laws would either counter the UIGEA, or exclude certain sectors of the gambling industry from the general law.

Proposed bills such as Barney Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA) – which seeks to license and regulate online gambling - have already attracted the attention of many politicians.

One of the strongest sectors that have shown opposition to the UIGEA is the poker industry. With the backing of groups such as the powerful Poker Player’s Alliance and others, online poker players have been pressurizing their local politicians to take the necessary steps to exclude poker from the UIGEA. Their argument is that poker and other games such as Mahjong, bridge and chess rely a great deal more on the player’s skill level and much less on the luck factor. As such, they believe that these games should not be considered ‘gambling’ games and therefore should not be included in the UIGEA.

One such bill that is quietly gaining momentum on the political scene in the is known as HR2610, or “The Skill Game Protection Act”. Congressman Robert Wexler, a Democrat from the State of Florida , has proposed this bill that would essentially change the language of the existing UIGEA legislation to exempt skill games from the law.  Particular games, such as poker, would be defined as skill games and thus adults (ie. players of 18 years and over), would be allowed to play them at online sites that are allowed – under the law – to provide these services.

This week, the bill got a boost when another Democrat politician, this time Robert E. Andrews from New Jersey , became a co-sponsor of the proposed law. This brings the number of US politicians who are backing the Skill Game Protection Act to 21. 

Wexler’s proposed act will mean that a new system will be created to tax all skill games that involve real-money playing on the internet. In this way, the pastime will bring much needed funds into state coffers and at the same time allow authorities to regulate the sites. Tougher regulation means that players will be able to go about their gaming sessions safe in the knowledge that the sites follow certain criteria, and under-age players will not be permitted to play for real money. 

Author:  Renee Kingsley