Iowa Unlikely to Pass Online Poker Legislation This YearOnline Poker Deemed Too Controversial for State Legislators |
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Earlier this month, Iowa joined the running to become the first state in U.S. to pass legislation that would explicitly legalize and regulate online poker within its borders. But after two weeks of discussions, one thing seems obvious: online poker legislation will not be passed in Iowa — at least, not now.
“It’s abundantly clear we would not have anywhere near the votes for passage of what many considered would be the largest expansion of gambling in the history of the United States of America,” Iowa’s House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-Des Moines) told the Des Moines Register this week.
McCarthy was planning on proposing a gambling expansion bill, but has now said that he will no longer do so. The legislative session concludes in two weeks.
The state had been considering an extensive proposal that included bigger live poker tournaments and online poker options through one of the state’s 17 casinos.
But it was the online poker issue that proved to be too tough to work out, according to the Des Moines Register.
“I sent signals several weeks ago that the continued focus by some on Internet gaming would create a situation which would sink the entire gaming ship, and that is what appears to have occurred,” said McCarthy.
Doug Struk (R-Council Bluffs), who was one of the legislators who supported the addition of online poker in the bill, said that the lack of progress made by the legislature on the issue was “unfortunate.” He dismissed the notion that online poker was the sole reason the expansion bill failed to gain traction.
One problem for online poker advocates in the state was that not all of the 17 casinos were completely comfortable with the Internet component.
“They were still trying to sort through (all of the issues),” said Wes Ehrecke, the president of the Iowa Gaming Association. “They are some new concepts.”
Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas warned poker players in an interview last week not to be overly optimistic about states being able to pass significant online poker regulation anytime soon.
“Unless politics doesn’t play a role at the state level, I think there’s going to be an uphill battle from now until election day for them to get a bill passed through and signed by the governor when this is really the first time that state legislatures have begun contemplating this,” said Pappas. “Not to discredit the efforts that are being pushed at the state level — I know there are very competent folks who are working there on these bills — but I just have a hard time believing that they will be signed into law by the end of this year.”
While online poker appeared to be too hot of a topic for the Iowa legislature, many officials said that they were still open to some forms of gambling expansion. If anything changes in the final days of the state legislature, expect online poker to be dropped from the conversation for now, while state officials focus in on what simple measures they could do to raise gambling revenue.
Iowa, which was the first state to allow riverboat gaming in the United States, currently has a $400 million budget shortfall. It was estimated that online poker regulation could conceivably bring in $11.5 million in revenue.
New Jersey, California, and Florida have also discussed intrastate online poker regulation, but only Florida has introduced a bill on the issue. Several other states have proposed — and passed — gambling expansion legislation, including Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. The three states are planning on opening up new casinos with table games later this year.
According to the Associated Press, Iowa is one of 18 states that has or is considering gambling legislation in 2010.
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