Jon Kyl, the single biggest lawmaker opposing online poker in the US, is reconsidering his position. His recent shift is clearly documented on his official senate.gov website where he states:
I have opposed efforts to legalize Internet gambling in the past because evidence suggests that it fosters problems unlike any other forms of gambling. Online players can gamble 24 hours a day from home; children can play without sufficient age verification; and betting with a credit card can undercut a player’s perception of the value of cash — leading to possible addiction and, in turn, bankruptcy, crime, and even suicide.
Efforts to carve out an exception for games like poker, which many believe is a game of skill, may be considered later this year. Until I have the chance to review them, I cannot make a judgment about their merits; but I will consider them carefully as long as they leave in place the broader proscriptions against online betting.
In December 2010 during the lame duck session of congress, Harry Reid (D–Nevada) was rumored to be planning to attach an online poker bill to the tax cut package. When asked about his stance on Reid’s efforts, Kyl told Politco there is “zero chance — no chance whatsoever that would be part of the tax deal.”
