The California State Legislature was supposed to vote on SB 1485, a bill that would legalize online poker in the state, on Tuesday June 29th, but the bill’s author, State Senator Rod Wright, decided to delay the vote saying that the legislation still needs some work. SB 1485 was a wolf in sheep’s clothing for online poker players, and even the Poker Players Alliance couldn’t get behind the measure because of the criminalization of offshore online poker aspect of theRead Full Article

First there was Pennsylvania, then there was Delaware, and now Maryland legislators have introduced their own bill to legalize and regulate table games throughout the state, including poker. The movement has caught fire since the recession hit, and states started looking for new ways to generate revenue. States that already offer casino games have gone so far as to bring up the possibility of legalizing and regulating the online poker industry at the state level. Maryland’s bill, House Bill 608,Read Full Article

After Pennsylvania’s legislature passed a bill to license and regulate table games –poker, blackjack, roulette, and so on—Delaware’s House of Representatives has put forth a similar bill. The bill which passed the House Gaming and Pari-mutuels Committee would add card and dice games to Delaware’s Slots Casinos, which currently offer slots, wagering on horses and football

The latest state to jump into the online poker arena: State Senator Raymond Lesniak has introduced legislation to allow intrastate Internet poker to New Jersey residents. The move comes on the heels of numerous states pursuing similar measures in an effort to create revenue for their struggling state budgets. If New Jersey –or possibly California who is also looking at legalizing online poker—is successful in passing online poker legislation it could make the matter moot on the federal level, withRead Full Article

In a cash-strapped state that receives millions of dollars in revenue from land-based casinos every year, the idea of legalizing online poker is starting to take hold. Several Indian Tribes along with the Commerce Casino have made their pitch for the state to legalize and regulate online poker for California residents –an estimated 1,000,000 of which play online poker. The main determinate in the end will likely be money: Online poker could increase the state coffers by millions, in additionRead Full Article

Despite the current turmoil in Congress over health-care reform, Barney Frank still appears hopeful that he can have online gaming legislation passed. His most recent effort –a sort-of fail-safe in case online gaming legislation is not dealt with during the current session of Congress—was to urge regulators to delay the implementation of UIGEA legislation (set to go into effect Dec 1, 2009). According to Reuters, Frank penned a letter to several key figures including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and FederalRead Full Article

Several California Card-Clubs and Indian Tribes who were pushing for California to legalize online poker have withdrawn their proposal and plan on reintroducing it next year. A spokesman for the Morongo Indian Tribe stated, “The best option is to regroup and get it done in January.” Among the card clubs seeking to legalize online poker are the Commerce Casino, Hawaiian Gardens Casino, Bicycle Club Casino and Hollywood Park Casino along with the Morongo tribe. Several Indian Casinos also stand inRead Full Article

Massachusetts Attorney general Martha Coakley ruled against including a ballot question on legalizing online poker stating the form did not meet the legal requisites to be included on the ballot. In order for the state of Massachusetts to add the issue to their ballot they require a certain threshold to be passed, and the legalization of online poker failed to meet the 66,593 requirement. So, for now online poker in Massachusetts will remain in a legal limbo; where it isRead Full Article

Throughout 2009, the ongoing grassroots effort to legalize poker has been gaining traction. Legal victories across the US in Massachusetts, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina saw poker being referred to as a ‘skill’ game, with players participating in, and organizing, home poker games exonerated of any wrongdoing. Additionally, Barney Frank (D-MA) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) have introduced legislation to legalize and regulate online poker in the House of Representatives and the Senate: And even conservatives have been jumping on boardRead Full Article

When Congress reconvenes after Labor Day you can expect the Health Care debate to be the focus of almost every conversation. What many are unaware of is that there are two bills awaiting a vote on the floor of the Congress, both of which seek to legalize online poker. In the Senate, S 8309 was introduced by Robert Menendez (D-NJ). S 8309 seeks to legalize, and regulate, online games of skill, the most notable of course being poker. Menendez drawsRead Full Article