Federal Web Poker Efforts Likely To Be RevivedAGA President Frank Fahrenkopf Optimistic At I-Gaming Conference |
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Federal online poker should be brought back to the table on Capitol Hill this year, according Frank Fahrenkopf, head of the American Gaming Association.
Rep. Joe Barton, a Republican from Texas, will likely re-introduce a poker-only bill in the House, according to Fahrenkopf. Barton has tried before to pass a bill.
Nevada Democratic Senator Harry Reid was working on a bill late last year, but it was never introduced into the Senate, much to the disappointment of many in the industry.
Fahrenkopf was speaking Wednesday at the 2013 iGaming North America Conference about the future of the gaming industry, with regards to taking products to the Internet.
Despite some states making strides to legalize online gaming within their respective borders, Fahrenkopf still thinks a federal bill is the best option for operators and tech firms.
According to Fahrenkopf, state compacts brokered to create liquidity for online poker sites could cause some members of Congress to be concerned and potentially block the partnerships. However, he admitted that federal approval for state deals in other industries has not been needed in recent memory. Real-money gaming could be different, he argued.
Thus, a federal bill would wipe away that possible problem sitting on the horizon.
Also according to Fahrenkopf, a federal bill would be better for Native American gaming interests — and not just the commercial gaming industry. Though, some within the tribal gaming industry were very critical of Barton’s previous plans when the issue was discussed during past hearings on Capitol Hill. Compromises would have to be reached.
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