Iowa Plan Could Result in Multistate Online Poker
Written by Renee K | Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Plans are in the making for a new look at the introduction of online poker, which could actually result in a number of states collaborating in a bigger plan to introduce multistate poker to players. According the Senator Jeff Danielson of Iowa, the latest opinion reversal published by the Department of Justice could allow the state to enter into agreement with other states such as Nevada and Washington DC.
“We believe that because of the Department of Justice ruling, we can now have a multistate compact,” said Danielson, who also serves as chairman of the Senate State Government Committee. According to Danielson, he intends drafting a bill to legalize online poker in the state. The senator pointed out that Iowa Lottery is involved in an agreement where it participates in the multistate Powerball lottery game, and he believes the same principle could be applied to online poker.
The idea of introducing online poker in Iowa is not a new one, and last month the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission was asked to publish a report which considered the introduction of legal infrastructure of intrastate online poker. Authorities believe that up to $60 million could be earned from online poker for operators, of which up to $13 million could be made directed to the state.
“I think the evidence is pretty clear that Iowans are already gambling online,” said Senator William Dotzler of Iowa, “We are losing a lot of revenue here in the state of Iowa.”
However, there are still hurdles to overcome, especially in garnering support from the general public. A Des Moines Register Iowa Poll from the beginning of last year shows that 73% of residents object to online gambling. With growing support for online gambling across the US, however, these statistics may have changed.
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· Written by Renee K · Filed Under Poker Gossip · Comments Off
