Delaware Online Poker Bill Goes to Governor's DeskLooks To Join Nevada As Only State With Legalization |
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Update: Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 into law Thursday morning, according to The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal.
On Wednesday, a Delaware bill that would legalize web table games, including poker, and expand other forms of gaming in the state was voted out of the Senate at around 4 p.m. local time without any new amendments. It now goes to the governor for likely signature.
Wednesday’s historic action comes after the Senate delayed Tuesday’s scheduled vote.
The Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 would authorize Internet gaming under the control and operation of the Delaware Lottery. The state is looking to partner with West Virgina and Rhode Island for online poker.
The legislature took up the proposal earlier this year amidst growing gaming industry competition from neighboring states. “Our industry is on the severe defensive,” Brian Selander, Chief Strategy Officer to Gov. Jack Markell, told Card Player in March.
Efforts were aided by a December 2011 legal opinion from the Department of Justice. In the letter, the U.S. government clarified the 1961 Interstate Wire Act, effectively making intrastate wagering in cyberspace free and clear of federal law.
Delaware would join Nevada as the only states with legalized real-money web gaming.
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