- US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will hear evidence on internet gambling at a hearing on December 10.
- The hearing, entitled “The State of Online Gaming” will also examine H.R. 2666, “The Internet Poker Freedom Act.”
- Republican Congressman Joe Barton sponsored the latest bill after his previous attempts to get support for federal legislation floundered.
The US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will hear evidence on internet gambling at a hearing on December 10.
The hearing, entitled “The State of Online Gaming” will also examine H.R. 2666, “The Internet Poker Freedom Act.” Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Board member Rich Muny told PocketFives that the PPA had been invited to give evidence.
Also on the agenda is the DOJ’s re-interpretation of the Wire Act and a discussion of the “regulatory landscape.” Following the DOJ Wire Act climb down, US States quickly took the initiative on online gambling. H.R. 2666 attempts to restore a Federal level legal framework, within which States would have considerable latitude of action.
Republican Congressman Joe Barton sponsored the latest bill after his previous attempts to get support for federal legislation floundered in the increasingly polarized US political environment. He remains optimistic about this bill’s chances: “it’s not a question of if my bill happens, it’s a question of when.”
The US legislative process requires many reviews, votes and hearings, of which this sub-committee is only a small—but significant—part. Now that, New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware state coffers are starting to fill with gaming tax revenues, federal politicians may look on with envy and try to secure a piece of the pie for the national government.
