Nevada Could Turn To Partnerships For Web PokerLiquidity For Online Poker Sites Big Issue Going Forward |
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Nevada is looking to legislatively authorize its governor to perhaps one day enter into partnerships with other states in order to create liquidity for online poker sites.
The efforts during the upcoming legislative session, which begins Feb. 4, will be at the request of gaming regulators, as well as Assemblyman William Horne, who was behind Nevada’s online gaming bill that became law during the summer of 2011.
Horne told Card Player that the proposed change in the language was something he wanted to include in the last session, but his plan was amended in order to get the bill passed.
“We don’t have the population to make online gaming possible,” Horne said, “but we do have the regulations.” Nevada’s Gaming Commission adopted rules for the upcoming industry in December 2011, the first move of its kind in United States gambling history.
Officials believe Nevada has a lot to offer since it has the regulatory framework already in place. Thus, a potential partner wouldn’t have to draft its own online gaming rules.
“They will be seeking expertise,” Horne said of other states looking at online poker.
Assembly Bill No. 5 is a byproduct of the Gaming Policy Committee meetings from last year, as well as the federal government not acting on the issue during 2012, according to Horne. A bill from Nevada Sen. Harry Reid didn’t come to fruition last month on Capitol Hill.
Caesars Interactive Entertainment, one of Nevada’s future web poker operators, echoed sentiment similar to Horne’s. The success of the industry hinges on interstate possibilities.
“We applaud the foresight and initiative Nevada’s leaders are taking to create the first robust online poker business in the United States,” a spokesperson for Caesars Interactive told Card Player through email. “We believe the opportunity for state compacts will be important from both regulatory standard and liquidity standpoints.”
Real-money online poker has not yet commenced in the Silver State, but some firm could be offering games during the first quarter of 2013, if technology testing is successful.
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